Azazel Cullen
by T1gerCat
Summary: During a hunt Sam Winchester gets a vision of their life-long nemesis hunting the daughter of an old friend of his father. Will they make it in time to save her? Can vampires even be possessed?
1. Introduction

Introduction

There is a forest, in the background you can see a road and a few houses. In the foreground a young girl, around 17 or 18 in leaning against a tree trunk shivering. She's pale, log mahogany hair, big brown eyes. She's wearing a man's jacket, a police jacket with the nametag , sheriff, and is looking with something between fright and determination in her eyes to a young man with copper hair and yellow eyes as he leans cheatingly over her and tells her something that cannot be heard. She gets up to run then but he grabs her and throws her to a tree. She falls down unconscious.


	2. Chapter 1: Hello Charlie

Chapter 1: Hello Charlie

The brothers are in a diner after having finished their hunt of a witch that consumes children life-force, called a Shtriga. Dean had told Sam about their dad's first attempt to kill it and how it failed.

_Flashback_

"Dad hunted one Shtriga before in Forks, Washington about 17 years ago. You were there, you don't remember?"

"no"

'But I remember Sammy' Dean thinks and his mind goes back to the night he lost his father's trust as he chose himself over the danger his little brother faced.

_Flashback (yes a double flashback :p)_

John leaves the motel room telling dean to protect his brother, "shoot first, ask questions later" in fact. He's giving him the rules for staying alone for the millionth time:

If the phone rings, you don't pick up. If it's me, I'll ring once and then call back

If I'm not back Sunday night...call deputy swan

Lock the doors and windows, close the shades and most important? Watch out for Sammy

if something tries to bust in ... shoot first ask questions later.

Some time later he fixed his brother dinner, scabetti-Os and milk, while fending off Sammy's questions acting as a brother, a father and a mother at the same time.

He was tired, annoyed and needed to get put of that tiny annoying freaking motel room. So he bailed out. Got up, made sure Sammy was still sleeping, left and locked the door to go to the arcade a few meters away. He left the arcade only when the owner kicked him out and returned to the motel room to find the lights on. With a bad feeling on his gut he got closer to the room where Sammy was sleeping to see a black hooded thing leaning over his brother. Quietly he got the well placed rifle and got ready to shoot but hesitated. John burst through the door just then guns blazing and stated shooting at the thing but it was too late. The thing was no longer feeding and was immune to ammo so it left.

John woke Sammy up and grabbed him in his arms to check up on him and hugged him. Dean still remembers the glare full of mistrust he got then and knew he had screwed up. He wasn't the good little daddy's soldier anymore, he had ignored his father's orders to not let his brother out of his sight and left.

After that John got up, packed them fast, dropped them off to a local cop, deputy Swan who knew about them and had a baby daughter and returned to the motel the Shtriga had gotten away. While father and son never spoke about it again John looked at Dean different, and it was worse.

_End flashback_

'I will get it this time' Dean thought. 'It's unfinished business'

_End Flashback_

That morning right before waking up Sam had a nightmare. The kind that cme true after a while. He was trying to find a way to tell Dean when he suddenly blurted it out.

"Dean, you know how sometimes my nightmares come true?"

"yeah"

"I had another one this morning"

"What? you sure it wasn't a dream?"

"positive, it felt different."

He goes on to tell his brother about that dream. There is a forest; in the background you can see a road and a few houses. In the foreground a young girl, around 17 or 18 in leaning against a tree trunk shivering. She's pale, log mahogany hair, big brown eyes. She's wearing a man's jacket, a police jacket with the nametag , sheriff, and is looking with something between fright and determination in her eyes to a young man with copper hair and yellow eyes as he leans cheatingly over her and tells her something that cannot be heard. She gets up to run then but he grabs her and throws her to a tree. She falls down unconscious.

"?"

"yes. Wasn't that the name of the man dad took us back then with the Shtriga?"

"I think so."

Dean run outside to get John's journal and true enough there is an entry about a man called Charlie Swan, deputy officer back then, in Forks Washigton.

"The name tag on the jacket said sheriff but it has been what 17 years? Could be the same"

"Same or not Sammy, that's where we're going. If what you saw really is Yellow-eyes we call dad and then we finish it once and for all"

While Dean got up to pay Sam pulled out his laptop and logged on to see if there is a sheriff called Swan in Forks and where exactly is Forks. Finding out the brothers got in their home on wheels and took the long drive to Washington

32 hours later

Bella POV

I was just pulling to the gas station to fill up on gas when my cell rang. I checked the screen, Renee. I chuckled. Mom had been calling me almost daily for the past month after I went to visit her without Edward. She couldn't hide her happiness he wasn't there to meet her as she never believed the whole accident story and was sure Edward did something to cause me to break my leg. If only she knew...

I got out of the truck to stretch my legs as I waited and thought back to the past months. Ever since I returned from Phoenix with the broken leg things had changed between me and Edward. We were never equal but now it was almost annoying. He was upset that I got a job, he was annoyed when I ate ice cream, he made Alice pick all my clothes as if I were a 3 year old again, controlled my diet and even threw a fit when I announced I'd go visit Renee for a month! Not to mention he avoided the subject of me saying every time it came up... I really hope he will change his mind and back off a little because no matter how much I love him he really stifles me and I hate it.

A black car pulled in as I was paying. 2 men came out of it.

The driver was a good-looking guy, in his mid twenties. Short spiky hair, light dusting of stubble across his cheeks. He was bathed in sunlight like me so I wasn't sure about his eyes, but my guess was green or blue. A leather jacket and beat-up jeans with lots of holes in them completed my first impression.

The passenger was a younger one in his early twenties with messy brown hair dressed in jeans and cowboy bots with a flannel shirt and a lighter jacket. Jackets? Even I am feeling warm today! Definitely from out of town I thought and for a moment let my eyes scan the shorter one, yummy. I shook my head when I realized what I just thought and thanked my lucky stars that Edward couldn't read my mind. My cell rung again and this time I answered it.

"Hey mom"

"Bells!"

"What's up?"

"Can't a mother call her daughter to see how she is?"

"You never do" I laughed "I'm ok though, Alice wasn't that bad today"

"And that means..."

"Only that I got waxed, shaved, plucked and manicured and pedicured within an inch of my life!"

"Could be worse.."

"I suppose, listen I gotta go, I'm driving, talk to you later?"

"Ok honey"

We hung up and after one more glance around to see if I'd see the hot stranger again, I didn't, I turned to go to my car. I got in and drove straight home. Thankfully it was sunny and that meant no Edward. When did I start to think like that?

Dean POV

I pulled into a gas station a little after we got in the town to fill the Impala up. I was tired; my limps ached and was hungry as hell. Driving non stop for 32 hours will do that to you though. Sam drove as well for a while as we caught some sleep in turns.

I told the boy there to fill her up and scanned the area for anything good. It had been a while since my last girl-hunt and I was getting itchy. I saw a good opportunity on the side of the lot. A girl around 18, long mahogany locks getting red under the sun, dressed in white shorts showing a pair of long lean legs that I bet would look hot wrapped around me and a purple top showing a nice rank. I got her checking me out for a moment but Sammy calling me from the mini store pulled me away from her. When we got back out I checked to see if I could find her but both she and a huge red truck were gone.

Sammy had found the sheriff's address so hoping he'll remember dad we asked at the store where that address was and we headed there.


	3. Chapter 2: Nice towel miss Bella

A/N: I just wanted to say something, a big THANK YOU to Dark-Supernatural-Angel for being there to bounce ideas for this story. Thanks

Chapter 2: Nice towel Miss Bella

Less than 10 minutes later we pulled in front of a house. It was a two story with a red truck already parked in the driveway. As we got out of the car and moved closer to check the name on the bell a police cruiser pulled in and a man in his early forties came out. He looked us suspiciously and then slowly moved one had to touch his gun and came forward.

"Can I help you?"

Sammy and I exchanged a quick look and he talked. He's the one with the people skills anyway.

"Uhm, yes, yes. We're looking for Mr Swan"

"Sheriff Swan, that's me"

he said emphasizing the Sheriff

"You might not remember us; you used to know our father, John Winchester"

He frowned for a moment, obviously scanning his memory for dad's name. A few moments later his eyes widened in recognition.

"John Winchester?"

"Yes, I'm Sam and that's Dean"

"It's been a long time. What brings you over?"

"We took over dad's job, we need to talk to you, if you have time"

He looked at us for a moment, and then nodded

"Come in."

We all got in and Charlie after hanging his gun belt he removed his jacket. He disappeared for a moment and returned with 3 beers. A quick glance at Sammy told me that this was the same jacket he saw. I took a look around at the living room. My attention was drawn to a series of mismatched frames on the fireplace mantle. They all showed a girl. The same one as she grew up, from a toddler to adulthood. Probably his daughter considering the brown hair and eyes. I had met Charlie's daughter back then when dad dropped us off here, she was a baby. She definitely looks good in these photos.

Charlie came back and said his daughter was cooking and we should stay for dinner, I agreed readily seeing as the last time we had something remotely close to home cooked dinner was last year at Bobby's. I told Charlie how John took his own hunt and we were doing the same on our own. Sam went on to tell Charlie how he had a vision during our previous hunt about a girl wearing his police jacket and being attacked by a possessed human that at the time had yellow eyes. When Sam went on to describe both the girl and the possessed man Charlie's eyes bulged and then he chuckled.

"Bells, can you come here please?"

A girl came from the kitchen, the same girl from the gas station I thought with a smile as I took her form in once again. Suddenly I realized that a) she's the target and b) she's Charlie's daughter aka forbidden fruit. Fuck!

"What's up dad?"

"Just wanted to introduce you. These are Sam and Dean, I knew their father. You met her when you were a baby, about 1 year old"

Her eyes scanned us and she smiled as she shook our hands

"If I said I remember I'd be lying. What are you doing here?"

"Just passing through on a road trip"

She raised one eyebrow showing clearly how she didn't believe a word from what I just said.

"Dinner is ready, why don't you all sit down?"

She showed us to the kitchen and served lamb with cilantro sauce, potatoes, and string beans. My mouth watered and I all but started to eat with my hands instead of using fork and knife. God the girl can cook!

During dinner Sam and I did our best to interrogate her about the guy in Sammy's vision but she was an expert to dodging questions and asking even better ones. After dinner Sammy offered to help her with the dishes but she shooed us out and did them herself. After dinner Charlie ordered us to sleep here since there are two couches. We talked some more and then he left us alone for the night.

"Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"You think she knows?"

"Definitely, if not he's possessed definitely the guy in question. I'll get it out of her tomorrow"

"Only that Dean, she's still 17"

"yeah yeah I know..."

Next day Sammy left to go to the library and do some research on any supernatural being in the area and I cornered Bella. Actually I made myself comfortable in her bed while she was showering. I regretted it 15 minutes later when she came in wearing only a towel around her body and a second one around her head.

Bella POV

I was in the shower washing my hair while my mind went through the previous day. From the morning that consisting of me and Edward getting into one more fight about his limitations and me getting fed up slowly, Alice not taking no for and answer literally attaching me to a chair while she had her fun playing Barbie Bella to the afternoon where I escaped saying I had to go to work, getting into one more fight with Edward about me working at Newton's, to the evening where the sons of an old friend of dad dropped by. They were insistent about me and a red hair man with yellow eyes. Edward. I dodged their questions as best as I could but I had a feeling I only got some time to think and there would be time for more interrogating later. However their story had holes as well. The big brother was a mechanic and the younger one was finishing university to go t law school and was taking a break, and they were on a road trip. When I asked where their destination was they both froze and changed their subject. I finished my shower as I felt the water running cold and realizing I forgot to take clothes, I wrapped a towel around me and headed to my room to get dressed. I needed to think whether I'd tell them about Edward or Edward about the brothers.

I opened my door and froze dead on my tracks. There sprawled on my bed was Dean. I gulped.

"Hi" I croaked

"Hey"

I saw his eyes traveling from my face down to the rest of my body and back but it didn't annoy me as much as it did when the kids at school did it. Maybe because I was dressed in my own style now (you know what I mean) and not Alice's.

"Can I help you?"

"It depends"

"You mind if I get my clothes to get dressed?"

He mumbled something under his breath which I chose to ignore and opened my closet feeling very exposed and wanting to get dressed as quickly as possible. I quickly picked a pair of simple pink cotton set of underwear and hid it in my lap as I went on with my quest to pick clothes. Smiling wanly I escaped from my room to get dressed in the bathroom and returned dressed in jeans and a pink top I bought with Renee. Feeling brave I added a pair black low heeled sandals and pulled my now dry hair in a ponytail. Judging by the sun I was sure that Edward wouldn't make an appearance today and for some reason I didn't even know at the time I was happy about it. Dean was still sitting on my bed only this time he was going through the photos on my nightstand. When he saw me he got up and declaring we should take a drive he led me downstairs. Seeing only my truck in the driveway he quickly changed his mind and we went back inside. I was hungry so I made myself a bowl of lucky charms and seeing dean's look I made him a bowl as well and poured

us coffee.

"Who's the guy you refuse to tell us?"

"Why do you want to know? The truth"

"I can't tell you, but I can tell you that you're in danger."

Danger? I thought about it some more and taking a deep breath I told him that Edward is my boyfriend. He insisted on the color of his eyes and having a bad feeling in my stomach I told him that Edward's eyes are golden always and not only recently he visibly panicked. He said he wanted to meet him and it was my turn to panic. A voice in my head told me I should open up and tell the truth. I knew I wasn't in any danger with Edward but how could I explain it to Dean?


	4. Chapter 3: Vampires?

Chapter 3: Vampires?

The morning passed slowly as I struggled to make a decision. It was very simple really, either I'd tell Dean and Sam that the Cullens are vampires, or I'd keep my mouth shut, let Dean meet Edward, have Edward read Dean's mind, decide Dean is danger and they'd probably move or kill Dean as Rosalie and jasper wanted to do with me when Edward saved me from Tyler's van.

And then it hit me. Alice! Alice can see my decisions, and know everything as soon as I decide on something. Besides what is more important, Edward's secret or why Sam and Dean are here? At that moment my cell rung, it was Alice who wanted me to go over to her house and have a fun day and a sleepover. Her voice sounded strained and somehow i knew she was trying to get me to keep my mouth shut. That sent me over the edge and I decided. I went downstairs to see Dean watching TV as he spoke on the phone. I waited until he finished and then told him we should talk.

"Dean, why did you get so upset that my boyfriend's eyes are golden?"

he took a breath, motioned me to sit down next to him and started talking. Hours passed, while Dean laid it all out for me. The very beginning, with his mother dying, cut and flamed on the ceiling of Sam's nursery. His father trying to cope, facing charges of murder (later dropped) and accusations of insanity (never really dropped), and then meeting Missouri and finding out the truth. How his father had hauled him and Sam around the country, from place to place. Keeping them safe, and also hunting the evil things out in the dark. But always searching for that one particular monster. Not finding it, but still looking. Training him and Sam to be hunters, as well.

"It's what I do," he said at one point. "We don't get paid. We don't get recognition. But it's the right thing to do, so we do it. We already know the Demon won't leave us alone anyways. Better to take the offensive, than to be sitting ducks. And take down a few other evil bastards along the way."

He explained to me about demons, and the Demon, and possession.

He told me about Sam's fiancée Jessica that was killed in the same way as their mother. About how John had disappeared, and about how Dean and Sam had gotten together again, looking for him, honing their hunting skills.

He showed me a special knife that they had taken it from a demon called Ruby before killing her, still stuck in his belt, and explained to her what it was and what it did. I took it in my hands and examined it curiously. Its handle was made of elk antlers, and the knife has engravings on both sides of the blade, although the symbols are all balderdash. Dean told me that with this knife when a demon is stabbed in a vital area, the demon suffers immediate death, usually taking the human host with it.

"How…how do you live like this?"

"No choice. The Demon has it in for my family. I'm not going to sit by and let it carry out whatever plans it has. And all those innocent people out there, they need people like us. Hunters, people who will protect them. Besides, this job's not without its perks."

He grinned over at her. I felt myself grin back at him and then I shook my head.

"I know Edward is not possessed Dean, he can't be"

"Why?"

"He's a vampire"

His eyes bulged comically

"He's a what? They are dangerous creatures Bella. I don't know what they've told you, but they aren't safe, they're killers."

"Do you see this Dean? Do you know what it is?"

I put my arm on his lap and showed him the scar that James gave me.

"A bite! They bit you!"

"No, they didn't. I was bitten by another vampire who was traveling through the area. Charlie thinks I had in Phoenix. I told him I fell down the stairs but I didn't, I was attacked by a vampire. My boyfriend and his family risked their own lives to save me. Edward fought his blood lust to suck the venom out of the bite and his 'dad' stopped me from bleeding to death. His 'brothers' killed one of their own kind to keep me safe. Don't tell me that I don't know what they're capable of, because I do! I've seen it first hand, I felt it"

"venom?"

"what runs in them instead of blood. when the bite someone that someone either becomes a vampire or they die. Aren't you supposed to know that stuff?"

"I know what I've hunted so far"

he shrugged

after that we moved on to lighter topics as I started on dinner. By the time Sam and Charlie returned I was feeling lighter and had managed to convince myself that the brothers' quest was more important that the Cullens' secret. However that changed the next day.

Edward and I would be spending the day at our meadow. He picked me up a little after 9 and raised his eyebrows over the cacophony of snoring that was audible everywhere in the house. I smiled and ushered him outside where I quickly told him that we had guests. He already knew that from Alice he was not happy that 2 strange men lived with me. This over protectiveness was still annoying so instead of him running me to the meadow I told him we should walk a little first in the forest behind my house and we'd run later.

His face tightened at my suggestion but in the end he let me have it my way.

"Why are they staying here?"

'here we go again'

"They are the sons of an old friend of Charlie's. you do understand that right?"

"I don't like them so close to you"

"I'm sorry Edward but that is your problem"

"What are you saying Bella?"

his tone was low, dangerous and for the first time I was afraid of him

"I need more friends Edward. You didn't even want me to visit my mother; you can't always be near me. This has got to stop Edward; you're suffocating me with all these rules and restrictions."

"I just want to keep you safe."

His silky voice and crooked smile weren't going to work this time.

"I have been safe and able to fend for myself for 17 years, Edward. I'm not a pet to be put on a leash"

His face darkened once again and he came closer. My fight or flight instict was in high alert and trying to be discreet I pressed the button 1 on my phone. Speed dial to home. If I were lucky they'd be awake. Edward didn't seem to notice it.

"I think, I mean... I want...I think we should break up."

I whispered finally, not daring to look at him.

Edward was quiet for a long time. In the end he spoke in a voice that scream predator

"No. You're mine, I waited 80 years for you Bella"

"I'm sorry Edward."

I made the mistake of turning away to leave and everything happened so fast then. I felt something pulling my hair back and I screamed. I fell backwards hitting my head and my ears were ringing. Edward was straddling me pining my hands over my head

"Get off me!"

I shouted and tried to free myself. He pulled aside my jacket and licked along my neck and I froze.

"Edward stop it."

"I thought this was what you wanted?"

He breathed, suckling my pulse. He scraped his teeth along my jaw and I struggled to free my wrists. I wanted to hit him.

"What's the problem Bella?" He growled.

"You're hurting me." I yelled.

"Isn't that what you want?"

He squeezed tighter and something snapped, my wrist felt like it was on fire. We both heard my cell ring and moments later I heard a gunshot. Edward snapped on the side and more shots were heard

"stay down Bella" a voice I recognized as Charlie's said.

a few moments later dad was kneeling next to me wrapping me in his police jacket and hugging me to him. Then he helped me get up and I leaned on a tree trunk to gather my breath. A few steps away Edward was crouched snarling, out of control. Suddenly he moved and knocked Charlie aside and leaned to me. He whispered something suspiciously close to "your blood smells heavenly and I will have you" before he grabbed me and threw me on a tree. Everything became black then and I welcomed the darkness.

No POV

At the house Charlie was waking up moments after Bella left. He went downstairs where he went over his morning ritual of reading the paper as he drank his morning coffee. In the living room Sam and Dean woke up slowly as the phone rang and Charlie picked it up. He only heard shouts and voices and as fear crept up inside him he checked the caller id, seeing it was Bella he run upstairs to check Bella's room. He saw only a note on her dresser saying she was spending the day with Edward. He grabbed his gun belt and jacket and with starting calling her cell to locate her he rushed in the woods. Sam and Dean exchanged a look and grabbing their guns and Ruby's knife run after him. A scream led them to the pair. Bella was on her back and the man was on top of her kissing or licking her neck. As the realization that he's Bella's boyfriend aka a vampire dawned to them Sam and Dean started shooting at him as Charlie moved over to Bella who was shivering and covered her in his jacket. The vampire snarled, threw Charlie away, leaned to Bella and then threw her straight on a tree where she fell unmoving.

Sam whispered

"it's my vision"

He started shooting at the vampire but their bullets were ricocheted off him. The vampire moved with high speed to Sam and Dean sneaked up behind it and held ruby's knife to its throat. As the blade cut him Edward froze. Dean whispered in his ear

"leave her alone or I can and will kill you".

Edward nodded frozen as he realized what he had done. He held a hand on his wound and run away to his house barely dodging the three large bears that chased him.

Sam and Dean looked at each other and each picked an unconscious person to get them inside. When they got in the laid them on the sofas. They saw that Bella's shirt was bloody and as Dean lifted it he saw that one of the bullets must have scratched her on the side and Sam cleaned the wound and dressed the wound as Charlie slowly stirred and woke up.


	5. Chapter 4: Secrets and breakups

Chapter 4: Secrets & Breakups

Bella POV

I felt as if I was underwater, all the sounds were muffled and my body felt strangely light. I wasn't asleep but I wasn't awake either. A ringing was becoming louder and I found the will to open my eyes. I was laid on the couch and I could hear dad in the kitchen talking on the phone. I tried to sit up but a sharp pain on my side made me gasp. I stood up slowly and moved to the kitchen where Charlie, Sam and Dean were talking and stopped at my arrival.

"Don't stop on my account"

"Hey Bells"

Dad jumped up and hugged me careful of my wounded side. We sat down again and dug into the pizza someone had ordered for lunch.

"Bella, what happened with Edward?"

"I broke up with him dad"

"and?"

"He's become too controlling these last months dad and I wanted to break free. He even chose what I should eat!"

"creep" Sam murmured

"so when we got into an argument about why Sam and Dean are staying here and that i should stay with him to be away from other men, I had enough and told him I wanted to break up"

"Is that why he attacked you?"

"yeah, that's also why I called you"

"Bella I'm sorry I must have hit you too by accident."

"It's ok Sam, you wouldn't have hurt Edward anyway"

"I did. with the knife I showed you"

"You did? Really Dean?

"uh huh. Apparently it can hurt anything"

"What are you three talking about?"

I took a deep breath and thought it was time for the masks to fall.

"Do you remember Billy's superstitions dad?"

Charlie nodded

"They're not superstitions, they're real. The Cullens are vampires dad. Up until this morning I thought nothing could hurt them but themselves."

Charlie was silent, staring at the pizza his mouthing hanging open. I rubbed my temples as a bad headache was starting to form. I didn't even want to start thinking what happens now.

"You ok dad?"

"Trying to wrap my mind around this"

I nodded and exchanged a look with Sam. five minutes later I was done

"OK. 1 - yes Edward is a vampire, 2 - Yes I've known from the start, 3 - no he's never hurt me before, 4 - yes, he and i are done."

"Good"

Charlie said firmly that was it. He stood up and went to sit in front of the TV while Sam started to write down everything I knew about vampires.

The next days were slow, school started; I renewed my friendships with Angela, Jessica and Mike. Without Edward pressuring me and not allowing me to be with my friends I found out how easy it was to make friends.

I heard from Carlisle when he stopped by once that Edward had gone to Alaska to get himself together and that they didn't blame me or hate me. However none of the Cullens ever talked to me again. Edward and Alice would be seniors like me and Jasper had failed last year as Alice wanted him to be more around humans. With Edward gone only Alice and Jasper were at school but they also kept to themselves. I shared some classes with them and we'd politely wave but that was it. I hated it and I missed them but I really didn't miss the constant bugging. I had caught Alice staring at me sometimes at lunch but she never made any move to talk to me.

Sam and Dean had left for a hunt a few times but besides that they made frequent visits. Perhaps it was because Dean and I were flirting all the time and slightly dating. At least Charlie's sly looks said so.

About a week after Dean's last visit (he was alone, Sam preferred to visit his own girlfriend), the police showed up at my front door.

"Are you Miss Isabella Swan" One of them asked, a tall blond man with a mustache who identified himself as Detective Franks. His partner was a woman, a petite brunette with grim eyes who introduced herself as Spencer.

I was confused at first. Then, my stomach clenched at a sudden thought - was dad hurt, and they had come to inform me? Charlie had gone away in Seattle for a conference between cops.

I let them in, wrapping my arms tightly around my chest starting to feel afraid.

"Miss, do you know this man?" Spencer asked, passing me a photocopy of what had originally been a pencil sketch.

It wasn't an exact likeness, but she could tell it was Dean. "Yes, that's Dean Winchester. He's a family friend"

I said, feeling confused

"Please tell me what's going on."

"I know this might be hard for you to hear, miss, but…"

Franks paused, a sympathetic look in his eyes, and I suddenly wanted to scream.

"We suspect he's a serial killer."

I sank down on the couch, still clutching the sketch of Dean. Serial killer? He had told me during a late night make out session about a shape shifter that took his face and committed crimes. However I had a feeling I couldn't, shouldn't say that.

"We got an anonymous phone call, telling us that he was here in town. That he'd been spotted here at the local high school. We went in and asked around, and the secretary said he came for you?"

"Yes, he just came to visit me"

I replied in a daze, still trying to process what was going on. What I really wanted to do was kick them out, call dad and then Dean. But was it safe? And who was this anonymous source that knows that Dean is wanted?

"What is he accused of doing, exactly?"

I asked to find out how much they knew and to buy me some time.

"He – allegedly - liked to tie women to chairs and then beat them to death, he'd cut them, too."

I felt like I was going to faint. Dean? The same Dean that I kissed and probably fell in love with?

But then the obvious thought arose. I was alive. Spencer wasn't finished.

"But one of the problems is, supposedly he died in St. Louis. After the most recent murder. So everyone involved figured the case was closed….until this anonymous tip. Something isn't adding up. At minimum, we'd like to question him. For all we know, it's just a case of mistaken identity."

Yes, that had to be it. Someone had screwed up. Or maybe was messing with Dean for some reason. That was easier to believe, than to believe my Dean was a killer. Maybe one of the demons he and Sam hunt.

"Yes, I'm sure there's some mistake," I insisted.

"Why so sure, Doctor?" Franks asked.

"Because…because,"

Bella fumbled her words, not wanting to tell them, not wanting to share that private thing, but she needed to help them see this was all wrong. It wasn't her Dean.

"My dad is a cop, the sheriff. He wouldn't let some one like that stay with us and he definitely wouldn't be ok with me dating him"

Slowly my words trailed off, however, as I realized how little I could tell them.

"Where is Dean now?"

"He…he went back to Dallas. To work. He's a mechanic…" I lied remembering the official story I was given the first night he and Sam visited us

"We can check into that easily enough. Do you know where he lives? Did he give you an address where you can contact him?"

"Um, no, just a phone number"

"When will he be visiting again?"

Franks pressed. That was when something cold settled into the pit of my belly. When Dean showed up next, they'd be waiting to question him. Maybe even to arrest him. No, not before I learned the truth. I wanted to hear his side, give him a chance to explain the coincidences. Give myself a chance to see if my instincts, my gut, were totally shot. No, I told myself again. This was all wrong. It had to be. I'd find a safe way to talk to Dean, and then – only then – if I didn't like the explanation, I'd tell dad everything and let him do everything in his power to have the cops on Dean's tail first thing.

"I don't know when he's coming next. Sometimes he calls first and arranges visits, sometimes he just shows up randomly,"

I said in a cold voice. Resolute. Almost without knowing what I was doing, I was on her feet and herding them back towards her door.

"And that's all I'm going to say right now."

"Please, miss, you could be in danger…" Franks tried.

"No, I'm almost sure you have the wrong man,"

I insisted, opening the door for them and waiting.

"Even you said it; the man you suspect of committing these crimes is probably dead. Until you know otherwise, for certain, please leave. Now."

Catching her partner's arm, Spencer nodded at him.

"We'll go, Miss Swan. But please, if you hear from him, or if you think of anything in the meantime that you think would be pertinent to this investigation, call us at this number."

Pulling a card from her jacket pocket, Spencer handed it to me.

"Thank you for your time."

I closed and bolted the door after them, then wandered over to the couch, sitting stiffly back down again. Barely noticing as the sun went down outside and the room slowly darkened. Barely noticing the hot tears that trickled slowly down my cheeks.

NO POV

It was an unusual situation for Dean Winchester. He was the type of guy who usually went for one-night stands (much to Sammy's amusement). That was just how it was. When you're hunting evil, you can't settle down and have a family. You can't stake a zombie on Monday, exorcise possessed humans Tuesday and Wednesday, behead vampires on Thursday, and then drive home on Friday and screw your wife, mow the lawn, and play baseball with the kids on the weekends.

Dad had tried to be a weekend father while Dean and Sam had been growing up, after Mom had died. Yeah, it hadn't been pure Hell, but all things considered, Dean had decided a long time ago that he didn't want to start a family of his own under those circumstances. So, having 'temporary' relationships with girls had always seemed the best option.

Not to mention what had happened with Cassie. Dean had loved her, but he hadn't known how to tell her what he did for a living. When he'd finally gotten his courage up enough to do so, that had been the end of their relationship. And it had hurt, dammit.

Stupid romantic notion, but he'd always privately wondered if Cassie would be to him what Mom had been to Dad – a bond so strong that not even death could break it. But it had broken, because of the hunt. That was another reason that Dean would have 'fun' with girls, but never anything lasting or serious.

Until now.

He wasn't sure why Bella Swan had proved the exception to the rule. Maybe he'd been wrong about how long he could settle for just a little 'action' on the side, with no emotional involvement. Or maybe it'd been the way she'd responded to him. Flirt to flirt. Sarcastic remark to sarcastic remark.

Most girls he tried to pick up either refused him outright, or were just interested in near-anonymous sex. They didn't want to know his name, or what he did for a living. They just wanted to get his pants down around his ankles and his body on top of - inside of - theirs. And most of the time he hadn't minded, because that was what he'd wanted, too.

But Bella had been different. Usually, he was the seducer. This time he hadn't even had sex with her. The fact she's the daughter of Dad's friend wasn't the problem. the fact she's a minor was. Although he'd never admit it to Sammy he was counting the days backwards till her 18th birthday arrived. With a smirk he was planning his "gift" to her. The day she broke up with her vampire boyfriend was clear as day and was something he saw everytime he closed his eyes. So did the evening he took her out to a bar to 'clear her head from the emotional day'. They danced, talked, even got her to get a beer even though she insisted she was ok.

So, instead of just regretfully crumpling her number up and tossing it into the Impala's glove compartment like he'd done so many times before, he'd called her. He'd also managed to squeeze in another visit or two, in between hunts with Sammy – a zombie on one, and one of your 'garden-variety' ghosts on another – and it seemed that he and Bella now had a 'thing'. He wouldn't call it a relationship, exactly. But it was something. Certainly the first 'something' he'd ever risked since Cassie.

Evil could wait a little while. As Dean had once told Sammy, this job had its perks…but you still had to make some time to enjoy them. He was currently with Dad and Sammy in his motel room discussing their next steps. They found a weapon that could kill the Demon. A gun made by Samuel Colt, a gun that could kill anything. Finally, they had an edge. Plus, they were together, they were going to fight this thing as a family. Dean had no doubt they'd succeed, either. They were stronger as a unit.

That was then his phone rang and he picked it up. It was a girl, his girl. She sounded scared and close to tears. Soon he figured out why. The trail he thought was long gone (the one where a shape shifter took his face and killed some women and then died wearing it) just became hot again. Cops from Missouri got an anonymous call that he was in Forks and questioned Bella. Charlie wasn't there and while she didn't believe them she was confused. And she had a right to be. He had told her about the incident but she was still skeptical. She hung up on him.

Dean took a deep breath and returned to the motel room, hands white-knuckled as he fisted them stopping himself from hitting anything or anyone as he struggled to get his anger and pain under control. Bella wasn't going anywhere, he repeated to himself. Once this job was done, one way or the other, he'd go to Forks and talk to her. Find some way to convince her. He had to.

But for now, the job had to come first.

Bella hung up the phone, scrubbing a cold hand over her face. She'd never felt this way before. This cold, empty feeling in her gut. Not even as she realized she wasn't in love with Edward anymore, or that her second chosen family didn't want anything with her. She contemplated calling Angela over for a movie night but she really preferred being alone right now.

Everybody lies, whispered the leading man's voice of a TV show in her head, and she put her face into her hands, fighting back the urge to cry. Hating the fact that her heart had gotten her into trouble once again. It had led her to date a vampire, had made her chase after a nomadic vampire to save her mother and get seriously hurt in the process and now it had made her fall in love with a stranger she met only twice.

That was when several sharp knocks sounded at the door, drawing her from her pain-induced stupor. She crept up to the door, looking cautiously out the peephole, but her visitor was a stranger, a woman Bella had never seen before. Feeling relieved, Bella called through the door

"Yes?"

"Hello, I live across the street? We just moved in today, and I was hoping to introduce myself."

Forcing a smile onto her face, Bella unlocked and opened the door.


	6. Chapter 5: All Hell breaks loose

Chapter 5: All Hell breaks loose

Bella could barely move at all. Tied to a chair and completely helpless. Completely at the mercy of her captors. She twisted, trying to struggle, but the bonds held firm. There was no escape. This was worse that James chasing her up and down the ballet studio in spring.

They were behind her, talking amongst themselves in low voices. Among them the blonde woman who had fooled her into opening her front door, and then backhanded her hard across the face. Bella dug her teeth into the gag, tensing as the horrific memories came back to her.

_Pain lanced through her cheek as she fell backwards, landing sprawled on the floor. The strange woman who had hit her strolled in, smiling in a way that shook Bella right to her core. Two men Bella had never seen before followed after the blonde, one of them smirking and shutting the door firmly behind him. She was alone with these crazy people…_

_The blonde woman bent down. _

"_Are you miss Bella Swan?"_

"_Ye-yes," _

_Bella said, her hand automatically going to her hurt cheek. She could taste blood in her mouth and it made her dizzy and sick_

"_You know Dean Winchester, don't you? You've been "seeing" him for a couple weeks, right?"_

"_Yes" _

_Bella whispered, forgetting in the shock of the moment that things were over between her and Dean._

"_Very good," the woman purred. She stood up and turned to her companions. "Take her."_

_Bella tried to scream, but one of them gagged her before she could even take a breath. They tied her hands tightly behind her back and hauled her to her feet. The blonde woman walked up to Bella, reaching up to stroke across her rapidly bruising cheek. _

"_I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? My name is Meg. I'm an…acquaintance of your boyfriend Dean. Don't worry; I'm sure he'll come for you. In fact, I'm counting on it. But we really ought to move the party somewhere more private, first…"_

_Before Bella's eyes, Meg's own eyes suddenly clouded over, turning completely black. No pupil, no iris, no sclera. Just black. Bella froze and then tried to scream behind the gag. Demons like Dean had told her. _

There was a shifting sound behind Bella, and then strong fingers slid around her chin, a ring brushing coolly against her skin waking Bella up from her trip down memory lane. The hand tightened, tilting her head back. The blonde woman – Meg – was looking down at her, smirking evilly.

"Sorry my friends had to trash your place, Bella. But we had to make sure that Dean realizes how serious this is. If he comes looking for you and sees the mess we left, I'm sure he'll be that much more willing to hand over what we want. You understand, I'm sure."

Bella moaned behind the gag. She'd never been so afraid in her life. Not even her HIV scare came close to this. She prayed to a God that she didn't even believe in, for someone, anyone, to rescue her. She couldn't even wonder if Charlie and Renee were safe; she couldn't order any of her thoughts through the terror. Meg let her go, then walked across the room – they seemed to be in an industrial park somewhere, in an abandoned warehouse – to a table cluttered with things Bella couldn't identify. Strange symbols, sharp knives, black candles that gave off a stomach-twisting scent. And a large goblet. Meg stirred something inside the goblet, then picked it up, starting to talk at it as if she was having a phone conversation.

"Yes, we have the means to bring them to us." A pause. "I called Dean a little while ago," she continued. "I told him I'd call him back. It'll give him some time to round up John-boy and Sammy. I'll probably try them in a few minutes." Another pause. "They'll come. They'll trade it. Dean's in love with this one." Meg turned and faced Bella for a moment, her expression vulpine and cruel. "And John already feels guilty about Jessica, about Mary….I'm sure he won't take a chance with this one's life." An even longer pause. "Yes, sir….yes. I understand."

Meg put the cup down, then strolled over until she was standing right over Bella.

"Now, you'll be a good girl, won't you, miss Swan?" Meg asked, pulling a knife from her pocket. "I just need Dean to hear your voice. Behave yourself, do as I tell you, and you'll be fine."

Meg leaned down, putting herself face-to-face with Bella.

"Try to scream, or give me any kind of trouble and I'll pick a piece of you to cut off and send to him by way of FedEx. Understand?"

Shaking, Bella nodded. Anything, just to get this nightmare over with.

Dean felt like crap. It was one thing to tell yourself you'd put your emotions aside, so you could do your job. It was quite another to accomplish that goal.

He felt sorry for Sam, who was doing most of the work. Questioning the locals, sneaking into fields to check for electromagnetic disturbances around dead cattle - Sam was doing it all, and Dean was just following mutely along, trying to get his feelings and thoughts under control.

He kept replaying his last conversation with Bella in his head.

Dean even found himself rehearsing what to say to Bella if he saw her again – assuming he did see her again; if the cops were after him, going back to visit could be a really bad idea – trying out and rejecting what felt like a thousand attempts.

Finally back in the Impala, Sam pulled out his phone and spoke to Dad, while Dean stared glumly out the window. Nothing had given any results where John was, so it looked like he and Sam (mostly Sam, rather) were on the right track here. In less than a week, it seemed, the Demon would show up somewhere here to flame-broil another nursery. The thought didn't excite Dean as much as it had several hours ago.

Sam said goodbye to Dad and closed the phone.

"Dad thinks our next step ought to be-"

That was when Dean's phone rang. Maybe it was Bella? He dug it feverishly out of his jacket pocket, hoping.

"Hello?" he said, trying not to sound too desperate.

"'Lovergirl' can't come to the phone right now," a familiar voice purred. Female, but not Bella's

Dean pulled the phone from his ear to check the display, but it was Bella's cell number. A sudden sinking feeling churned in the pit of his stomach.

"What?"

"So," the voice continued, mockingly, "you'll have to make do with me. What are you wearing, baby?"

"Depends undergarments,"

Dean snapped angrily, feeling panicky and trying to hide it. This was all wrong. If only he could place the voice.

"Who the Hell is this?"

"I'm so hurt that you don't remember me, Dean," she said in a low, husky voice. "I remember you. You and your brother. And your father. You got away from my Daevas in Chicago. I'll try not to take that personally, though."

"Meg!" Dean gasped, finally putting two and two together. "Where's Bella?"

"Patience, baby," Meg said, amusement in her voice. "All good things come to those who wait. Are your Daddy and your little brother around?"

"Fuck you. I want to speak to Bella," Dean gritted out.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Meg said. "Go round them up, Dean. But don't call me, I'll call you. You have thirty minutes."

And the line went dead.

Dean paced the motel room, agitated. He'd nearly crashed the Impala getting back here to meet up with Dad. He'd explained the situation –

"It's Meg. The girl who attacked us with those Daevas in Chicago. She has my girlfriend."

and now they were sitting around. Waiting.

"I just don't understand you, Dean," John said, sounding disappointed. "How could you put her at risk like this? It's one thing to take a little comfort on the side of the road here and there. But a relationship? This Demon'll stop at nothing to get to me, and that means if it can get to you, it will. How could you put this girl in danger, knowing what happened to Sam's fiancee? And your mother?"

Dad's voice was rising, he was getting angry. Dean spun on his heel, glaring at his father.

"I didn't plan this," he ground out. "You think I forgot so easily what happened to Mom, and to Jess? You think I wanted these bastards to take Bella? I didn't plan for Bella and me to have this 'thing' happen. It just did. Maybe you can go twenty-two years without anything in your life but hunting, Dad, but not all of us are wired like that."

Dean paced to the window and swept the curtain aside, looking out, ignoring the salt line already laid over the sill.

"Besides," he added, although it was sure to start some fireworks, "I'm not the only one. Sammy has a new girl, too."

He didn't need to turn; he could already imagine the betrayed look on Sam's face. But he didn't care. When Meg called back – and she'd better call back, or he'd systematically hunt down and kill every last one of these evil sons of bitches – he'd find out what she wanted in exchange, and he'd give it to her. Bella wasn't going to suffer for the choices the Winchester family had made. Not if Dean Winchester had anything to say about it. The fireworks he'd expected didn't happen, though. There was just a heavy sigh behind him, and his Dad said: "OK. Let's just see what they want. You said Meg would call back?"

"Yeah. Any second no-"

Dean's cell rang, and he snatched it up.

"Meg?"

"Very good, Dean. I'd say you were psychic, but we both know that's more Sam's area. Is he there? And your Daddy?"

"Yes. But I still want to speak to Bella before we get down to business."

"When I'm ready to let you hear her, you will. For now, you're going to listen to me. We know you have the Colt, Dean."

"Yeah, what about the Colt?"

Dean watched as his father mouthed 'no' at him, eyes wide in surprise. Didn't matter. They knew already, and if Dean lied, Bella would pay the price. He wasn't going to risk that.

"You're going to bring it to us. A trade. Your very pretty girlfriend, in exchange for the Colt and any bullets it has left," she said silkily.

"Where?" Dean asked flatly, ignoring the fact that his Dad looked ready to have an aneurysm.

"I'm waiting in a warehouse in Lincoln. Corner of Wabash and Lake. You're gonna meet me here. With the Colt. At midnight tonight."

"It's a day's drive," Dean objected, "Give us more time."

"No," Meg said. "No negotiations, Dean. If you're not here by then, I'll cut her throat."

"You let me talk to her right now. NOW! Or I'm not handing over anything."

He could hear the satisfied smirking in her voice.

"Fine, Dean. I can be generous. When you cooperate."

There was a pause, a rustle, and then Bella's tearful, scared voice. His heart lurched painfully in his chest.

"D-Dean?"

"Yeah, baby, I'm here. Did that bitch hurt you?"

"I'm OK, Dean. Please-"

He cut her off. He didn't know how long Meg would let them talk, and he had a promise to make.

"Don't be scared, Bell. I'm coming to get you. That's a promise."

She started to answer, but there was more rustling on the line, and Meg's voice came back on.

"There. We have a deal? Midnight tonight?"

"Yeah. And if you've hurt her-"

"Shut up, Dean. And put your Daddy on, I want to talk to him. Time for the grown-ups to discuss a few things."

Dean held the phone out to his Dad, not looking at him. Dean knew he had bargained away their one chance to kill the Demon, but what else could he have done?

"This is John,"

Dad said into the phone. He listened for awhile, but Dean wasn't paying any attention. He picked the Colt up from the bed, shooting Sam a threatening look when Sam tried to get him to leave it alone, and starting shoving it and their other weapons into a duffle bag. When Dad hung up, he looked pale and upset.

"What did Meg say, Dad?" Sam asked worriedly.

"More threats. That they'll hunt down and kill even more of our friends if I tried to talk Dean out of handing over the gun. Dean, hold up. We need to figure out what to do."

"No time," Dean growled. "Be there by midnight, she said. That means we need to leave, now."

"No,"

John said, striding over and grabbing Dean by the lapels of his jacket.

"Don't you get it? It's a trap. She said she wants all three of us there. The Demon doesn't just want the Colt out of the picture; it wants all three of us out of the picture. It's using your girlfriend to do that. I know how you feel, but we're so close. This is the most important hunt of our lives, Dean. The big one. In a week – less – that Demon is going to be here in Salvation, destroying some other family. We need the Colt. We can't give up our one shot to kill it."

Dean twisted himself out of his father's grasp.

"I don't care. I'm not going to put Bella's life on the line," he spat. "I've followed your orders all my life. I think it's time I got a little leeway in return."

"Dean, please," John tried begging, "Can't you see how stupid this is? We could finish this whole thing, right now! I just want this to be over, and I know you do too. We can't sacrifice our only chance-"

"Yes, we can!"

Dean shouted. Sam came over, his face troubled, but Dean brushed him off.

"You managed to find the Demon this time, Dad. That means we can always find it again later. So let's go and kill these fuckers, and-"

John's expression hardened.

"That's not the point, Dean. You're willing to put the life of your girlfriend above that of the next family the Demon's going to attack?"

"Maybe we don't have to," Sam offered quietly. "If we can get there by midnight and get Dean's girl away, that still leaves us lots of time to get back here. I mean, the Demon's supposed to show up around the end of this week, according to the signs, right? If we can rescue Bella and get back here within a day or two, we can still go after this thing. We can't just sit here and let Bella die, Dad. Not like Jess and Mom did."

Sam turned beseeching eyes on their father, while Dean prayed silently that Dad would see reason.

John hesitated, and Dean saw his chance.

"Sam's right, we can take them out and be back here in no time."

"There has to be another way."

"Like what?"

Sam was asking, but Dean just shook his head and continued to shovel gear and clothing into their bags.

"Maybe I can go alone. Bring them a fake gun, or something. No one's seen this thing except us and a few vampires, no one knows what it looks like-"

"Won't work," Dean reminded them. "Meg insisted all three of us show up. Besides, what if they figure out it's a fake? Bella's dead if we do that. And probably so are we."

"Well, maybe I should call Meg back, try to make another deal," John suggested.

"What the Hell are you talking about, Dad?" Dean retorted.

"Offer myself and the Colt. Just me, instead of all of us. At least you boys'll be safe."

Dean just stopped and glared at his father.

"With all due respect, Dad, that's bullshit. We work better as a team. We don't know how many other things besides Meg are going to be there, waiting for you. And if you can't free Bella, and get taken yourself, what then? Besides, I made her a promise. That I'd come for her. I'm not breaking that, I don't care what you say."

He looked up and held his father's gaze.

"You really are telling me that if you'd had a chance to save Mom, you wouldn't have taken a risk like this? We're not making any damned deals, we're going to face this as a family, and save Bella. And then get back here and kill that fucking Demon, as a family. So we can stop living like this."

He viciously shoved socks into his bag. John came over and put a gentle hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean tried to ignore his father, but his packing efforts ground to a halt when he saw the tears in John's eyes.

"I know, Dean. Don't you think I want that, too? I want Sammy to go back to Stanford. I want you to have a home and a family. I want to finish this, put this behind me….for Mary. And I don't want innocent people to be hurt."

"Then help me,"

Dean implored, taking his father by the shoulders, and looking over to include Sam in his plea.

"Help me go and save Bella, so we'll stop this from happening to another person we love. And then let's face the big badass together. Stop the Demon from taking any more lives, once and for all."

"OK," John said quietly, resigned. "OK, Dean."

Kneeling down on the stained carpet, John started to pack away the rest of their ammo and gear.

"Let's talk strategy, then," he said, clearing his throat and becoming all business.

Dean restrained a sigh of relief, but he exchanged a meaningful look with Sam. Maybe this would work out after all. Maybe they could turn this trap back on itself.

"Depends what Meg is," Sam pointed out, rolling their clothes into neat little bundles and packing them away. "Is she a demon herself?"

"Either that, or possessed," John said. "Doesn't matter in the end. We can use some of the same tricks. Salt lines will block them just as well, so maybe we can use that defensively. Holy water, although I'm not sure how we can use that as a weapon, either. Ampoules and bottles don't exactly have a long range. Exorcizing these people won't be an option, either, unless we can contain them somehow while we do it." He paused, looking frustrated. "We need offensive weapons, if we're going to get in there and bust Dean's girl out. And we only have four bullets left in the Colt. I want to save them for the Demon, not one of its measly friends."

A sudden thought occurred to Dean. He thought about it for a few moments, then turned to his father.

"I think I know how we can make those things into a weapon."

John listened grimly while Dean outlined his idea. By the time he was done, though, John was smiling. Actually smiling.

"That's so crazy, it might actually work," John said approvingly.

The drive to Lincoln felt like the longest of Dean's life. How the Hell the demons got from Forks to Linkoln in less than a day he had no idea. He'd been on long drives and longer stakeouts before, it came with the territory, but this was something else. He even let Sammy drive, that's how much of a nervous wreck Dean was. Hoping that Bella was OK. Hoping that his crazy idea would work. Hoping he hadn't wrecked Dad's chance to end this thing. Even feeling stabs of guilt for involving Bella in this. But that last self-flagellation didn't last long. Like he'd told Dad, he hadn't planned this. Just like Dad had never planned for Mom to die, or Sam for Jess (or Sarah, come to think of it). So they drove. They kept to the speed limit as much as possible, mindful of the fact that the cops might be looking out for one Dean Winchester. All the while, talking to each other over their cell phones, hatching plans, discussing strategy. Plus, once Dad had cooled down, he had apologized to Dean for his initial reaction. For acting as if Bella was expendable. Dean had gruffly accepted the apology, and then hung up. 'No chick-flick moments' applied to Dad as much as they did to Sammy. They made a quick – really quick – stop along the way, and then got back on the road, arriving with barely twenty minutes to spare. Dad loaded the Colt and stashed it under his jacket, then stuffed a few bags of salt into various pockets. Dean felt like all the bulges in his and Sam's jackets were visible from miles away, but there was no time to do otherwise. They couldn't even stake out the place in advance. No time, and Meg was expecting all of them. They'd just have to make do and pray it worked.

The three of them cautiously entered the building. No one on the first floor, so they rode the rusty, creaky elevator to the second floor. Dean saw Bella the moment the elevator door opened. She was bound to a chair and gagged, with two men standing behind her. More demon-possessed humans? Dean followed John as he strode slowly out of the elevator, with Sam bringing up the rear. The rest of the room was empty, except for what looked like a makeshift altar off to one side. And Meg, who strolled towards them out of the shadows, a pleased look on her face.

"John, Sammy, Dean. Glad you boys could make it." She smirked and looked John up and down. "The great John Winchester. I can see where the boys get their looks from, but I must say – I thought you'd be taller-"

"Skip the pleasantries, bitch," Dean rasped. "We brought the Colt. Untie Bella and let me and Sam leave with her, and then Dad'll hand the gun over." Of course, that wasn't really the plan at all.

"No," Meg said. "That's not how this is going to go."

"If I give you the Colt, how do we get out of here?" John said reasonably, almost affably.

"Not my problem, sexy. But if you don't, I'll make dear Bella's death your problem."

"I could just shoot you," John said in that same casual tone.

Meg laughed.

"And waste your precious bullets? Go right ahead, John-boy. You think me and my two brothers there are the only ones? Plenty more where we came from. More all the time, in fact." She shifted closer, grinning.

It wasn't going according to plan, but Dean fought to stay relaxed. Waiting for Dad's signal.

"Maybe," John said, drawing the Colt and pointing it directly at her head. "And maybe you're a little too fond of your own skin. This isn't going to send you back to Hell, not like an exorcism. It's going to kill you. Period. You ready for that, sweetheart?"

Meg's smile faltered for just a fraction of a second, but Dean saw it. Dad had been right. Dean forced himself not to look over at Bella. If he let himself get distracted now, they could all be dead.

"Give me the Colt!" Meg demanded, starting to stalk rapidly towards them.

"Now, boys!" John ordered.

In an instant, Dean dove to one side while Sam went the other way, both of them drawing the waterguns from under their jackets as they went. Dean really couldn't follow what Sam was doing, but his brother must've aimed a quick shot at Meg, because she hissed and backed up as the water hit her and her flesh started to smoke. Dean was more interested in taking out the two guys guarding Bella. He strafed the three of them with his watergun, knowing that Bella would be left unharmed (and confirm that she wasn't possessed herself). By the time he had reached her, it had worked perfectly, the two guys falling back and writhing in pain on the ground, and Bella damp and confused but otherwise OK. Dean could still hear the scuffle continuing behind him, but he didn't have time to wonder if Dad and Sam were doing all right with their end, he just reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife, slashing open Bella's bindings. They hadn't bothered to tie her ankles, so Dean just aimed another blast from the watergun at the demon-dudes again, and hauled Bella to her feet. "C'mon, Bell, c'mon!" He tugged her back in the direction of the elevator, spinning around himself.

He froze. The plan had been for Sam to blast Meg with the holy water from the watergun, driving her backwards while Dad poured a line of salt across the entrance to the elevator. Then Dad and Sam would take cover inside it and keep Meg down with more holy water, until Dean could get Bella in there. Instead, Dean saw Dad sprawled on the floor, bleeding and unmoving, and Sam was trying to use a Mandaic amulet to hold Meg off. Dean saw why, too – Sam's watergun was already empty. A quick glance confirmed that Dean's gun almost was, too. Damn it!

He only had seconds to act, and he knew it. The Colt was there, lying a few feet from Dad's limp hand. Dean pushed the watergun into Bella's hands and ran forward to snatch up the gun. He had it, but he only stood up just in time to see Meg bodily throwing Sam towards him. His larger brother collided with him, and they both went down.

"Sam, get off me!"

Dean demanded, shoving at his brother. He'd managed to hold onto the Colt, thank God, but they were probably all dead if he didn't get a chance to use it.

"Dean!"

Bella suddenly screamed, and a sudden rush of adrenalin helped Dean to shove Sam off him. He scrambled to his feet. There was Meg, holding a knife to Bella's throat.

"Drop it, now,"

Meg snarled, steam still rising from her flesh. Dean glanced quickly over at Sam and Dad, but there was no help there. Sam was on his knees, bloody and dazed and unarmed, and Dad was stirring but otherwise unarmed except for the salt. And the two dudes at the back of the room were already starting to recover, struggling to get back on their feet. Dean knew he had no choice. If he didn't take the next step, Bella was dead anyways, and so were they. He raised the gun and fired. Meg's head snapped back at the impact and she fell over, almost dragging Bella down with her. Meg's body spasmed as the bullet's power jolted into her, and then it was just over. She was dead.

They had to get out, now. Dean lunged forward and grabbed Bella's arm, dragging her back towards the elevator. She looked like she was in a state of shock, but they didn't have time for that now.

"C'mon Sammy, c'mon!"

Dean shouted, hauling Bella over to Dad's side.

"Help me, quickly," Dean ordered Sam.

Still looking a little woozy himself, Sam helped John to his feet, the four of them staggering into the elevator. Dean dug in Dad's pocket and grabbed the salt-bag, sprinkling the contents quickly across the entrance to the elevator. None too soon, because the two demon-guys were on their feet now, snarling and stumbling towards the elevator.

"Go Sam, go!" Dean urged, watching the two of them getting closer.

Sam hit the down button and the door closed. Dean held tightly to the Colt. "Get ready to move, fast," he said to Bella. "You OK, Sam? Dad?"

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Dude, you've got a hard freakin' head."

"Bitch," Dean scoffed.

"Jerk," Sam retorted, supporting Dad. John's face was covered in blood, but at least he looked more aware now. "Dad?" Dean asked again.

"I'm OK," he slurred. "Let's just get the Hell out of here."

The elevator doors opened, and Dean pulled Bella with him, trying to scan all around them at the same time. But the two dudes were nowhere to be seen, although Dean made sure to dump more salt in a line across the outside door as soon as they passed through it.

Cool night air hit their faces, and Dean breathed it in gratefully. He looked over at Dad, who seemed way too out of it to drive.

"Sammy, you stick with Dad. You drive. Let's get back to Salvation right now. Let's move,"

he ordered, leading Bella to the Impala. It was only after they'd been driving for about twenty minutes, and there was no sign of them being followed, that Dean allowed himself to relax. And to remember that he had a shellshocked girlfriend – who was maybe an ex-girlfriend – in the passenger seat.

"Bell, look at me."

She turned to face him, but he didn't like the look of her face. Pale, haunted. A nasty bruise on one cheekbone. A shallow cut across her throat where Meg had managed to cut her, while falling backwards after the shot from the Colt.

"It's over. I've got you. You're safe."

"Wh-what the Hell is going on, Dean? First some cops came to my place and accuse you of being a killer, then those demons came to my house and hit me, trash my house…."

Dean's hands tightened around the steering wheel. He hadn't known about that - and then reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "It's going to be OK."


	7. Chapter 6: Happy birthday Bella

Chapter 6: Happy birthday Bella

Hours passed, while Dean and Bella drove without exchanging a word. Dean shifted, uncomfortable with the silence, but he waited. Bella had a lot to process, and he was going to let her do it. Bella hadn't asked to be dragged into this, he reminded himself.

"For what it's worth,"

he said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving the road in front of them,

"I'm sorry, Bell. I never intended for you to become a target. I never really planned any of this. I don't usually do relationships. Our lifestyle is too fucked-up for that."

Bella looked over at Dean, but he was very deliberately not meeting her gaze this time. She heard the self-recrimination in his voice, and knew he was blaming himself. But, if she asked herself honestly, did she wish that she'd never met Dean? No.

She touched his arm.

"I know you didn't mean for this to happen. And I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have been so quick to cut you off like that."

"That mean I'm still 'Mr. Swan'?"

He asked, trying for lightness. But he couldn't hide all the tension he was feeling.

"Yes," she said, "I guess I was just really rattled when the cops came and showed me your picture, and said you were a serial killer."

Dean gave a short, bitter laugh.

"Yeah, that's another long story. I'll tell it to you sometime."

"You don't need to, I believe you"

He scrubbed his hand over his face. Damn, but he could barely keep his eyes open. They were only halfway back to Salvation, too. Not to mention, Bella probably needed some food, and some rest. They all did. Coming to a decision, Dean pulled out his cell phone.

"Let's pull off at the next motel, Sammy. We've got lots more driving ahead of us, and we're not going to be able to do much good if we're asleep on our feet when we get back to Salvation. Or if we get involved in a crash on the way. Besides, we probably still have a few days or so before the big badass comes to town."

Dean waited, bracing himself for Dad to object. But no, after a quick conference with their father, Sam was agreeing. Wonders never cease, Dean thought. They got two rooms at some fleabag six miles down the road, but Dean wasn't arguing. He led Bella into one of the two rooms, telling her to make herself comfortable, and then went to see Dad and Sam in the adjoining room. Or he tried, anyways. Dad was already sprawled on one of the motel beds, snoring, when he came in. It worried Dean a bit. He glanced over at Sam, who was lounging in the room's single rickety chair.

"keep an eye on him, OK? If anything changes, come get me. We'll nap for awhile, then hit the road again."

"Sounds good,"

Sam said, rubbing at a purple bruise on his arm. Dean raided a few vending machines on his way back to their room. Bella was still in the same position as he'd left her, seated slumped-over on the bed.

"Here, Bell. It's not a five-course gourmet meal, but it'll do."

She took the packages from his hands, smiling a little at them thinking how different this was from the last time she had to hide in a hotel for the night

"Doritos, Combos, and Cheez-Its. You sure know how to show a girl a good time,"

He smiled and sat on the bed beside her, shedding his jacket.

"Pass the appetizers, would you?"

They shared the food – plus a few tattered Power Bars Dean found at the bottom of his bag – and sat in near silence, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Dean was trying to plot out what to do next. He couldn't let Bella go home, that was clear. She'd been targeted once, and they'd no doubt come for her again. Could he convince her to stay with them? Or, more importantly, could he make Dad agree to let her tag along? Bella's thoughts were a complete jumble. She kept seeing Meg's face, with her eyes going black. Memories of the two strange men trashing her apartment. Mental pictures of Dean bursting in, guns blazing (or rather, squirting). Soon, that image was all that she was seeing. Because she remembered something. Remembered her run-in with James and how Edward started to rule everything for her afterwards. The first time in her life she'd been that close to death, and the man she'd been in love with had blamed himself so badly he was ready to cut himself of her life.

Not Dean. He'd made a promise to save her, and he'd kept that promise. Even if the bad guy in question was something much stronger than Dean and could kill him easily whereas James and Edward had been of the same species. Bella stretched out her hand and touched the side of Dean's face.

"You…you came for me."

"Damn straight," Dean answered, looking deep into her eyes for a second, before the intimacy of the situation became too much for him and he had to look away again.

"'Course I did."

He couldn't bring himself to say he loved her. He could say as much to Dad, when it came to convincing John to help save her, but saying it to Bella herself? He couldn't go there, couldn't make himself do that just yet.

"You mean a lot to me."

Bella laughed, but she'd seen the truth in his face. So despite the fact that she felt awful – she knew she stank of fear-sweat, and that her hair was greasy and tangled – she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. If he was put-off by her current state, he hid it well, kissing her passionately, his hands stroking her back and shoulders. Still, she'd feel more human after she cleaned up a bit, she decided.

"Do you mind if I grab a quick shower, Dean? I feel really dirty."

"Not in the good way, I'm guessing," he smirked at her.

"No," she chuckled.

"Of course, go right ahead. Save me some hot water, OK? There's some soap and shampoo in my duffle if you need it."

"No problem, and thanks."

She gave him another kiss, and then she headed for the bathroom. No, no soap at all – what a cheap place – so she collected what she needed from Dean's bag. The thought of having to put the same dirty clothes on again after the shower made her shudder, but there was no help for it. At least the water pressure was half-decent, as she discovered when she got into the tub and turned the shower on. It took forever for it to get hot enough, but then she just closed her eyes, standing gratefully under the spray, letting it massage the aches out of her. The curtain was suddenly drawn aside, and a very naked and smirking Dean was climbing into the tub behind her.

"Hello, beautiful," he said. "Come here often?"

She shook her head and looked salaciously and blushing profusely over her shoulder at him.

"Let me guess, you decided to do your part for the environment by conserving water."

He grinned. He'd always appreciated her brains.

"Damn right, girl."

His mood darkened, however, when he saw again the ugly bruise developing on Bella's face. The demon inhabiting Meg had died too quickly, he thought vindictively. But at least it wasn't coming back.

"Pass me the shampoo, I'll even do your hair for you. My version of 'Room Service'," he winked at her, making an effort to put his more hunting-related thoughts behind him. At least for now.

He soon discovered that he liked washing her hair. He liked having the soft strands wrapped around his fingers, and she shivered most interestingly and made nice noises of appreciation when he massaged her scalp. It gave him a few ideas, in fact. Dean guided her back under the shower to rinse the foam away, and then found himself kissing her, desperately, urgently. He'd come so close to losing her. Close to buying the farm himself. It made him pull her tight against him, made him kiss her like he'd never get the chance to do this again.

There was so much he wanted to say. So much he was feeling. So relieved she was safe, and that they were together again, even here in this dingy dive of a bathroom. He didn't know if this was love, or what most people would call love. He just knew that her body belonged in his arms. That it felt right. It was simple as that. But he knew he couldn't say something like that to her. Way too flowery and 'chick-flicky'. It was easier to release her with a final kiss, and then scoop up the soap. He lathered it up in his palms, leering at her the whole time.

He started with her shoulders, rubbing the soap into her smooth, pale skin. He let his fingers follow the line of her collarbone, making a side trip to slip gently over her throat (avoiding the shallow knife-slice) and the sides of her neck. Then down over her breasts.

Dean's palms covered her nipples, rubbing lightly, and Bella moaned and pushed herself against him.

"You're such a tease Dean"

Dean gave her a crooked half-smile. He looked adorable, his hair wet and plastered to his head, muscles glistening wetly.

"I like the way you say my name, baby,"

He purred back at her, hands leaving her nipples to glide slickly down her belly, massaging the soapy foam in circles.

"Wouldn't mind hearing you scream it in ecstasy, come to think of it."

She laughed and splashed him with water. Dean grinned and kissed her again, although he got a mouthful of water from the shower when he pulled back, and he had to spend a few moments in undignified coughing while Bella giggled behind her hand and pounded him on the back. He snatched up the soap to work up a fresh lather, soaping up her arms. He gritted his teeth anew at the red marks on her wrists – fucking demons – from the bindings. Still, she'd gotten off relatively easy, all things considered.

"Turn around, so I can do your back," he ordered her. Other areas, too, but he'd let that be a surprise.

She was happy to turn and brace her hands on the tiled wall, to let the warm water beat down over her shoulders while Dean scrubbed along her back and sides. There was a pause, during which she assumed he was working up another lather, and then slow teasing hands were circling her ankle and making a slow path up her leg. Paying particular attention to her inner thigh. She arched her back, gasping, and felt his lips brush over the curve of her ass.

Dean switched to her other leg, smirking. The water running along Bella's back and splashing into his face was a damned pain, but it was worth it. He had a great view of that gorgeous ass, those long legs, and all the interesting areas in between. He finished soaping her upper thighs, then ran his hands over her curvaceous rear end. He grabbed for the soap a final time, working up the biggest lather yet, and then nudged Bella's legs gently further apart. He let one hand massage the soap into the delicate depression between her cheeks, teasing all the sensitive nerves there, and let his other hand work the lather slowly into the dark, wet curls beneath.

She moaned loudly, a sound that echoed pleasingly, and Dean pressed more firmly, easing soapy fingers between her folds and sliding them in a circle around the stiff little bud of her clit. She was even more slippery here, but whether it was the soap or her own fluids he couldn't tell. He wanted to, though.

"Time to rinse off, baby,"

"Time for me to return the favor, Dean,"

"Yes, ma'am,"

he said, grinning and licking his lips. She ignored his attempts to distract her – a hand 'accidentally' glancing across her nipple, or 'mistakenly' groping her rear, all while he put on an innocent expression and said "Oh, oops, 'scuse me, miss." – while she maneuvered around him to get to the soap. He stood there obediently enough when she began massaging him with soapy hands, however. She followed his earlier lead, starting with his strong shoulders, then his lightly-stubbled throat, and then sliding down over his pectoral muscles. She tweaked his nipples lightly, and he bit off a groan. She got another handful of soap and did his arms, then tiny circles along his belly. He tensed as she got lower and lower, shooting her a mock-annoyed look when she winked and ordered him to turn around. Her grin faded when she saw the damage the rescue had done to his back. Probably from his fall, when he'd been slammed into by a 6'5" missile named Sam. Dark purple bruises, and a few small cuts and abrasions.

"Do they hurt?" she asked softly, lightly touching one of the larger bruises.

"Not when you're busy distracting me," Dean suggested helpfully. He'd had worse. Much worse. He swayed slightly on his feet as she had her evil way with his family jewels, until he couldn't take it any more. He pushed her hands away, and turned to face the spray, letting the water wash him clean.

"Rinse your hands," he instructed her.

"But I didn't do your hair-"

"Fuck my hair," Dean opined. He waited until her hands were soap-free, and then he turned the water off and shoved the curtain back.

Bella watched bemused as Dean first climbed out of the tub, and then dug through the pockets of his jeans, cursing quietly to himself and dripping water everywhere.

"What are you-?" she started to ask.

He held up a condom packet between two fingers.

"Come over here. I'm about to assert my rescuer's rights."

She snorted with amusement behind her hand but got out of the tub, biting hesitantly her lower lip. He gently lifted her in his arms bridal style and carried her to the bed. He laid her in the middle of the bed and leaned over her and kissed her gently on her lips. Seeing her uncertainity in her eyes he said

"We don't have to, you know. We can just sleep"

"I want to, it's just, I've never... before and ... can we go at it slowly?"

Dean smiled at her and nodded.

"happy birthday" he whispered in her ear.

'Mine' he thought. 'No one else's'

That was the first time in Dean Winchester's life that he made love to a girl instead of the rough sex he usually preferred.

A few hours' nap, and a quick conference with Sam and John later, and they were back on the road. Bella had felt a bit awkward, meeting John for the first time under those circumstances. Their first meeting when she was a baby didn't count. John however had been distant, reserved. He'd almost growled his introduction, barely able to meet her eyes.

It puzzled her, that the elder Winchester seemed to dislike her on sight, but she supposed from what Dean had told her that the kidnapping situation had put John's lifelong quest at risk. It bothered her, that he seemed to be blaming her, and for something that wasn't even her fault, but she decided to let it go for now. Maybe, with time, John would be more accepting of her. Back in the Impala with Dean, while his younger brother kept their father company in the truck, Bella had a few moments to think. Things still didn't make much sense to her, the pieces still didn't fit together in any way that she liked, but she supposed that, too, would come with time.

It was when they blew past a town sign that she suddenly realized something; that the real world hadn't ceased to exist behind her. That there still was a father who would be back from his work conference back in Forks, likely wondering why she hadn't called or even answered the phone yet.

"Dean, wait, you have to take me home."

He shook his head, looking over at her in disbelief.

"You're kidding, right, Bell? You'd be in danger. You need to stick close to me."

She stared back at him.

"I can't just drop everything, leave my life and my father-"

"Yes, you can, weren't you listening before? I told you, this Demon killed my mother, then Sam's fiancee. You told me yourself, Meg seemed to be talking to someone. I'll bet it was the big badass himself. Besides, she said there's more of them out there. You really think they won't make another try for you, if I let you go home unprotected? No, you're staying with me. That's not negotiable."

His hands were white-knuckled around the steering wheel, and she'd never heard him speak in that tone of voice. He was terrified, she realized. It made her afraid again, too, wondering what these monsters were, that could cause Dean to react this way. She'd seen only the tip of the iceberg, she was starting to suspect.

Dean took a slow breath, obviously fighting to relax, and continued:

"Besides, this is almost over. Dad's got a bead on the Demon. We think it's going to show up in Salvation, Iowa, sometime around the end of this week. We think that it'll try to destroy another family the way it did ours. That's where we're headed now, and if we can find out when and where it will attack, we can take the Colt and kill it." He reached across the seat, wrapping icy fingers around her hand.

"Then it'll all be over, and you can go home again. And maybe I can finally have a normal life, and stop being a freak."

The last sentence was said so quietly, Bella wasn't sure she'd heard him right. But if it was true, if this was all going to be over soon like he said, she supposed she could do this for him.

"Just another week. Less, even. Please, Bella,"

Dean gave her a pleading look, and that decided her. She squeezed his hand in return.

"OK," she said. Still, she couldn't leave her father totally in the dark, not again.

"But can I at least call dad?"

"Fine,"

Dean said after a long pause. He reached into a pocket and handed her his cell.

"But don't you go telling him where we are, or where we're going."

"Why not?" she asked confused

"Because anyone, anywhere, could be a friend of the Demon's. And we wouldn't know until it was too late. Didn't Meg and her friends seem pretty normal to you? Except for the whole black eyes and altar and knife-fetish thing, that is?"

"You're saying my dad could be possessed?"

"No, I'm saying we have to be careful. That we won't always know who's on our side and who isn't. So we need to play it safe, at least until this is over."

"Dean-"

"This'll all be over by the end of the week, so why take chances? Please, just do this for me. Call it my reward for saving your ass."

I thought your reward was the sex we just had, she almost joked, but Dean was obviously deadly serious.

"OK," she replied.

It made sense although her conscience wouldn't let her leave Charlie wondering, so she dialed his cell number and waited.

He picked up on the first ring

"Bella? What happened? Where are you?

"I'm with Dean dad, everything is ok now."

"Now?"

Bella took a deep breath and after Dean's nod to her silent question she went on to tell her father what had happened in the last day. The cops showing up and at their house, Dean's charges of murder, her being kidnapped by the demon-possessed people, the same demon-possesses people trashing Charlie's house, how John, Dean and Sam saved her and that she'd be back by the next weekend.

Charlie understood from her tone that something was going on and agreed on the condition that all three Winchesters would accompany her and promised he'd make the anonymous call go away. Bella thanked her father, told him she loved him and hung up.


	8. Chapter 7: Shopping and planning

Chapter 7: Shopping and planning

Amazingly, the unreality of it all was starting to wear off. It helped that Bella had the anchor of regular calls to Charlie every few hours.

Dean scowled darkly every time she asked him to lower the music and let her use a pay phone, but otherwise didn't say anything. Maybe he understood that she needed this, that she needed some reminder of her old, sane life to keep her from totally freaking out. Whatever the reason, he didn't try to stop her or talk her out of it anymore, not after the first time.

When they got to the outskirts of Salvation, Iowa, another conference between the three Winchesters took place, while Bella sat nervously behind them in the Impala, drumming her fingers on her knees. Dean's tension had been increasing steadily, as they'd gotten closer and closer to their destination, and Bella herself was starting to feel very tense, wondering how she fit into their plans.

Would they leave her in a motel room somewhere while they went after the Demon? She thought that would be pretty unbearable. What if something happened and all three of them were hurt? What if she was left all alone in that motel room, wondering for hours or days what had happened to them? It wasn't a comforting thought.

Finally, Dean came sauntering back to the Impala. He was trying to act casual, but Bella could still read the lines of tension in his body. The observational skills she was born with were still in operation, apparently.

"You and I are gonna do some shopping, I figure we need to get you some stuff. Girly stuff, so you'll be more comfortable. Like a toothbrush." He winked at her and took her hand, but it still seemed forced to Bella. Like he was only half with her.

he informed her, sliding behind the steering wheel.

"And Dad and Sammy are going to find us a place to hole up,"

he added before she could ask. She squeezed his hand lightly, smiling at him.

"You're right, I've got nothing."

Bella cheered up a little bit, however, when Dean seemed to come back to himself more fully. He leaned in and kissed her, obviously not caring whether Sam or John saw him do so, and then tugged her in the direction of the Impala.

"I'm glad you're here," he said gruffly. They both heard what he left unsaid:

"Where I can protect you"

In difference than Edward, Bella didn't mind it when Dean said it.

Still something about the whole thing was still making her uncomfortable – beyond the obvious craziness of the entire situation, that is. Dean and Sam had their backs to John and Bella, looking over maps of Salvation and plotting the next move, so they probably wouldn't have noticed, but Bella herself could've sworn that John was glaring at her behind her back. She kept feeling the burn of his gaze on the back of her neck, but whenever she turned, trying to catch him at it, he was always looking somewhere else, or staring blankly into the middle distance. Still, her intuition told her that the elder Winchester was less than happy with her. It was really creeping her out, actually. Did Dean's father really see her as that much of a liability?

It took them over an hour, and Dean tried not to mind that too much. Shopping for toiletries was kind of boring, but it was no hardship watching Bella model a pair or two of low-rise, tight-fitting jeans. He also managed to convince her to buy a set of lacy red lingerie, so it wasn't all a waste.

He didn't like the way people were looking at them, though. Bella, with her bandaged throat and bruised cheek, looked like she'd been a victim of domestic violence, and many of the people in the stores they went to started to glare at Dean when they realized the two of them were together…until Dean decided to take off his jacket and let the prying onlookers see the bruises on his elbows and the bandages on his arms.

"Car accident,"

he rasped at one of the more curious onlookers, and finally, when it became evident that Bella wasn't afraid of Dean, and was starting to get annoyed at their stares herself, the other shoppers finally got the hint and left them alone.

Even without that extra annoyance, however, an internal struggle was taking place inside of Dean. He was split now, in a way he never had been before, not even with Cassie. Part of him wanted to be the nurturer, the caring boyfriend who made sure his girl had what she needed to be comfortable (or as comfortable as possible given the present circumstances). But most of him, the hunter, wanted to be with Dad and Sam, plotting their next steps, figuring out how to go about finding the Demon, so they could lie in wait for the bastard. Shopping was only taking one hour, the boyfriend part insisted, yet the hunter part groused that every moment counted, and that he was losing valuable strategy-planning time while playing 'house' with Bella.

Finally, though, he was able to relax, reminding himself that this was Dad's battle, and Dad probably already knew what he wanted to do, practically right down to the second. That had always been how things worked with Dean and his father; Dean had always been just the foot soldier, following Dad's lead wherever it led, and Dad had made all the big 'military' decisions. Dean had never had a problem with that, and that would probably happen this time, too.

Besides, did he really want to be forced to play mediator between Dad and Sammy again? No thanks. He hoped he'd get lucky and Dad and Sam wouldn't be fighting tooth and nail when he and Bella got back. Dean watched Bella hunt around for deodorant and soap and other girly things, and he thought back to the quick conversation he'd had with Dad about her, obviously out of earshot, before leaving for this little shopping trip.

By that point, he hadn't yet told Dad about his intention to keep Bella with them, and Dean had frankly expected a fight about it. About putting Bella in danger again, or maybe about the foolishness of hauling around 'dead weight'.

But, much to Dean's surprise, Dad had agreed to keeping Bella with them, without even a murmur of protest. John had just nodded curtly, and gone back to rummaging in the weapons case in the back of his truck.

Now, strolling slowly after Bella while she went around picking out essentials, he thought back to that conversation with Dad. Or rather, the lack of conversation. Something felt a bit off, but Dean wasn't sure what. He couldn't put his finger on it, couldn't shake the feeling that not only was something wrong, but that something big might be wrong.

He tried to find a rational explanation, debating silently with himself while Bell went about her business. Maybe just having Bella around was changing the dynamic between the three of them. Maybe Dad was remembering how Dean had stood up to him when they'd gone to get the Colt from the vampires, or how Dean had stood up to him about going to rescue Bella. Maybe after so many years of being devoted to Mom's memory, Dad understood that Dean could be just as loyal to his own significant other. Or at least that it would be useless to argue with Dean about it.

All in all, Dean was glad when he and Bella made it back to the Impala relatively quickly. He'd told Dad to give them two to three hours to get some essentials, and they were doing fine for time, he reminded himself for the hundredth time.

Bella had balked a bit at the credit card with the "Phil Rudd" name he'd used back at the cashier, but he reminded her quietly now that the Winchesters weren't getting a salary for what they did.

Bella nodded. "OK. Should we pop the trunk and put the bags in there?"

Dean couldn't help grinning at the thought of putting such domestic items in on top of the shotguns and holy water ampoules and bags of rock salt.

"Not much room in there, baby, sorry."

"What? What've you got in there?"

That's right; she hadn't yet seen the arsenal in the Impala's trunk. Dean glanced quickly around, but they were at the back end of a large parking lot and no one was nearby, so he stashed the shopping bags on the backseat of the car and then opened the trunk, lifting the false bottom and propping it open with the ease of long practice.

He grinned again at the expected shocked look on her face. He couldn't resist pointing out a few of his 'babies'.

"Taurus, Model 92, 9mm," he said, pointing. "A Beretta 92, 9mm. Colt revolver, 6-shot, .357."

He also pointed out to her the sawed-off shotgun, the Winchester shotguns (she smirked a little at that), the rock salt, the crumpled plastic bottle of holy water, some random knives, and some other things.

"But this is my real baby," he said proudly, checking again to make sure they weren't being observed. He pulled his favorite gun from the holster hidden under his arm. "Colt 1911, .45 caliber, semi-automatic. And we can't forget this,"

he added, lifting the bottom of his t-shirt quickly to show her the Colt once again. The special Colt. The one that could help them rid the world forever of the monster that had brought so much pain to their family. She leaned over and kissed him.

"Let's get out of here before someone notices your gun fetish."

Dean dropped the false bottom back into place and slammed the trunk closed.

"Nothing wrong with a gun fetish in my business. Besides, it's only one of my fetishes."

He looked her up and down, just to be sure she got the message. She rolled her eyes as she slid into the passenger seat, but she was still smiling. He got into the car himself, smiling inwardly at how much more relaxed he felt now.

Maybe having Bell along wasn't such a bad idea.


	9. Chapter 8: Azazel or John Winchester?

Chapter 8: Azazel Winchester or John Winchester?

Bella wasn't all that impressed with the rough backwoods cabin John had apparently chosen as the Winchester staging area, but she reminded herself that this wasn't her party. She decided to do her best to stay out of everyone's way, although she did insist on checking John's head wound again.

Dean and Sam were outside at the moment taking inventory of their weapons, leaving her alone with John. Bella felt that same unease again, that same feeling that John was watching her with animosity in his eyes when her back was turned, but every time she glanced over at him, his expression was bland and neutral.

"Bella, do you love Dean?"

The directness of the question threw her. Of course she did – she thought she did – but she hadn't even said as much to Dean yet.

"Um, why do you ask?"

she countered, stalling. Hoping Dean or Sam would come back in and rescue her from the awkwardness. It was also the way John was looking at her. It was distinctly creepy. Like he was almost thinking... John's hand firmly grasped her elbow, drawing her closer before she had a chance to resist.

"I've been watching you,"

he whispered gravelly, close to her cheek, hot breath caressing her skin.

"You're too much woman for a boy like him."

Bella didn't need to be a genius to see what was going on here. Or what John was suggesting. Her stomach clenched into a tight knot.

"Mr. Winchester," she said as steadily as she could, "Please let go of my arm."

He didn't. If anything, his grip tightened, and he leaned in even further, until she could barely feel his lips brushing her ear.

"You're a beautiful woman. Intelligent. You need a man, someone who could offer you so much more. I could do that for you, Bella."

It didn't make any sense. First he was cold towards her, then he acted as if he despised her, and now this? His grip on her arm was tight enough now that she'd have to fight hard to get away if he didn't release her voluntarily. How could she get out of this? With relief, she heard Dean's and Sam's voices from just outside the cabin.

Dean pulled the rough cabin door open, blinking a little at the scene in front of him. Bella was backing away from Dad, looking upset, while Dad had this very strange expression on his face. Satisfaction? Dean didn't know, but in an instant, it was gone, and Dad was all business again, coming towards him and Sam and asking about the state of their weapons and ammo.

"What happened?"

he mouthed at Bella, but she just shook her head. Something was wrong. Dean still didn't know what, exactly, couldn't put his finger on it, but something was off. On top of everything else that had been troubling Dean, Sammy had been complaining lately about a steadily increasing headache, ever since they'd rescued Bella. Like his visions, Sam had said, but the visions themselves hadn't come. Just the pain. And Dean still thought that Dad was being…weird. It wasn't just the fact that Dad wasn't arguing with Dean the way Dean might have expected, given the current state of affairs. Having Bella with them should've been a big sticking point with Dad, but John hadn't protested at all.

But it was also the way Dad was reacting to Bella. Yes, he'd accepted her presence, but he seemed to be very passive-aggressive about it. A few times, Dean had caught John glaring at Bella. At first, he'd dismissed it as Dad being moody and taking it out on their unwelcome guest, but the more he thought about it, the more it felt off to him. Dad wasn't the passive type. If he was unhappy with the status quo, he'd let you know. Loudly, angrily, and out in the open. More often with Sam, sure, but that was only because Dean usually went along with Dad's wishes. Now that Dean was finally sticking up for what he wanted, shouldn't Dad and he be at each other's throats, instead of Dad glaring daggers at Bella because he didn't want her there? Not to mention the strangeness of what had just happened between Bella and Dad. Still, Dean couldn't shake the feeling that something big was wrong. Dean knew it, could feel it in his bones, but he didn't know what it was. He needed time to sit down, figure it out, but he didn't have the luxury. What was it? He saw Sam wince and rub at his forehead again, and Dean pushed his misgivings aside for the moment and went over to him.

"Still bad, huh?"

"Yeah, fucking codeine is doing nothing, dude."

Dean was really starting to worry. Maybe Sammy wasn't cut out for this? He'd never been as into hunting as Dean and Dad were. Maybe, now that the chips were down, Sammy was folding?

"Hang in there, Sammy," Dean said, slapping him on the shoulder. "We'll get the bastard. Soon."

"Don't call me Sammy," Sam groused, rubbing his forehead still. "And stop treating me like I'm some nervous schoolgirl."

"Well, I just thought…."

"I know what you thought. This isn't like a stress headache. I'm not scared of going after the Demon. I told you. It's like the visions-" That was when Sam's expression turned worried. "Maybe this has something to do with the Demon? Like, maybe it knows we're here, and it's trying to take me out? Putting out some bad vibes or something?"

Dean didn't like the sound of that, not at all, but he couldn't see anything they could do about it, either. Other than stick to the plan. He patted the Colt he was still wearing. He'd had it ever since they'd rescued Bella.

"If it is the Demon, Sammy – Sam – I've got the cure right here. Three bullets, three chances to…"

That was when it hit him, like a punch to the jaw. Three bullets. That was it. Three chances. When they could've had four. He'd used one of those bullets on Meg. Used up one of their precious chances to kill the Demon once and for all. And Dad had never mentioned it. Not once. Heck, he'd never even asked Dean for the gun back. Suddenly, it all made sense to Dean. Even down to Sam's inexplicable headache. Sam was watching him, his worry becoming even more apparent.

"Dean? What's wrong?"

From across the room, Dean saw Bella look over at them, obviously concerned by the tone of Sam's voice. That was when the lights in the cabin started to flicker, the wind picking up outside and screaming around the corners of the building. Dad strode rapidly over to the window, looking out.

"It found us! It's here."

"The Demon?"

Sam asked. Dean tightened his grip on the Colt. Watching his father. It was suddenly right down to the wire, just like that, and he knew he had a decision to make. Maybe the most important one of all their lives.

"Sam, lines of salt in front of every window, every door." John ordered.

"Already did it." Sam reminded him.

"Well, check it again, okay?"

John insisted, and Sam nodded and left the room. Leaving Dean alone with both Bella and his Dad. Who might not be his Dad.

"Dean, you got the gun?" John was asking.

"Yeah,"

Dean answered. But he didn't hand it over. He looked over at Bella, who was pale and almost visibly shaking. It wasn't supposed to go down like this. She wasn't supposed to have a front-row seat. Could he get her out of here somehow?

"Give it to me," John was saying, his hand out.

Dean tried stalling.

"Dad, maybe we ought to check first what's going on? Lots of things cause power surges…."

He needed more time, damn it. He needed to sit down and think things through, decide if all the clues added up to what he feared. John ignored Dean's insubordination as if it hadn't happened, still looking out the window.

"Quickly, Dean. Hurry."

Even that was wrong. Dad should've been yelling, demanding the Colt. Getting impatient with Dean and his slow response to orders.

"Son, please,"

John coaxed, looking back at Dean, a pleading expression on his face. Dean took a few slow steps back from Dad. Every second that went by, he was more convinced. Dad should be popping him in the jaw and taking the gun. Or at least getting very frustrated with him. Instead, John looked confused and afraid.

"Give me the gun. What are you doing, Dean?"

Dean stepped slowly back until he was standing next to Bella.

"Dean, what's going on?" she asked him, clearly unsettled.

Dean didn't answer her, just addressed the man in front of them.

"You'd be furious."

John was finally starting to look angry.

"What?"

"That I wasted a bullet. He wouldn't be taking it in stride like this. He'd tear me a new one. This is the most important thing in his life, the most important hunt. Everything he's worked towards, ever since Mom died. I use up one bullet, one of his chances to kill this fucking thing, and he never even brings it up?" Dean raised the Colt and cocked it.

"You're not my dad."

Bella put out a hand, cautiously, but pulled it back before she touched Dean.

"Dean, wait, are you sure-?"

"Dean, for God's sake, it's me," Dad said. But Dean wasn't buying it.

"I know my dad better than anyone. And you ain't him," he growled, and shot a look at Bella. 'I know what I'm talking about', that look said.

"What the Hell has gotten into you?" The thing inside his Dad tried again.

Dean chuckled bitterly.

"I could ask you the same thing."

Except he was pretty sure he already knew. The only real question was whether this was a minor player, or the big badass himself?

Dad – not-Dad's – eyes shifted, and Dean glanced over to see Sam coming up to join them.

"Dean! What the Hell is…." Sam started, eyes wide.

"Your brother's lost his mind," Dad said, sounding desperate.

Dean gritted his teeth and kept a tight bead on his father.

"He's not our Dad,"

"What?" Sam asked.

Dean almost couldn't get the words out for a moment. As if saying them would somehow make this more real, even more inescapable. But he had to.

"He's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued Bella."

"Don't listen to him, Sammy," Dad pleaded.

Sam looked from Dean to Dad and back, looking scared and confused himself.

"How do you know, Dean?"

"He's different, He hasn't said word one about me using a bullet back there. Or about having Bella along. That sound like the Dad we know?"

"We don't have time for this," Dad rasped. "Sammy, if we're going to kill this Demon, you have to trust me."

That was when Bella spoke up, sounding timid and afraid.

"I don't know if this helps, but while you were both outside just now, he…he…made a pass at me."

Oh God. Dean's gaze flicked over to Sam. No way, Dad would never do anything like that. Ever. If Dean needed further proof…He could see from Sam's face, that Sam felt exactly the same.

"Sam?" The thing masquerading as their father asked.

"No."

Sam said, first weakly, and then with more strength. He walked slowly over until he was standing by Dean's other side. John looked back and forth between the two of them, ignoring Bella, his eyes starting to tear up.

"Fine," he said, shoulders slumping. "If you're both so sure, then do it. Kill me."

He looked beseechingly at them for another few heart-freezing seconds, then lowered his head.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Dean was sure – absolutely sure – that this wasn't his Dad. But if his Dad was possessed, what could Dean do about it? He couldn't kill his own father. Not even to free him from possession. Tears stung Dean's eyes as well, and his grip on the gun faltered. An eternity passed, while the four of them stood frozen, trapped. Then Dad spoke again, but this time his voice was deeper, raspier…and amused.

"I thought so," he said with a chuckle.

Dean only got a glimpse of his father's face, the eyes a swirling haze of yellow, before Dean was picked up as if by a giant, invisible hand, and flung against the wall. He felt the Colt jerked out of his grip, even as Sam's yell and Bella's scream of terror ripped into his ears. Dean tried to push himself out from the wall, to go to Bella, to go to Sam, to go retrieve the precious gun, but he couldn't move. He was pinned to the wall like a butterfly on a pin. He could do nothing but watch with hate and despair as the thing wearing his Dad like a suit of clothes sauntered over to the Colt and picked it up.

"What a pain in the ass this thing's been,"

it said, still chuckling. Twisting helplessly against the invisible force, Dean stared across the room into Bella's tear-streaked face.

"It's you, isn't it?" Sam growled at the Demon.

"Yep, you found me," It drawled, grinning viciously at them, yellow eyes gleaming poisonously. "Lucky, lucky you."

"I'm gonna kill you!" Sam yelled, obviously trying to struggle, but Dean could see it was having no more effect than his own efforts.

"That would be a neat trick, wouldn't it? Just how strong are you, Sammy?" Still grinning, it plunked the Colt down on the rough table. "Here ya go. Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy."

Dean watched, his heart in his throat. Sam was concentrating, but….nothing happened. The Colt didn't even tremble, and the Demon chuckled low again in its throat, like gravel rubbing together.

"No? I'm disappointed in you, Sammy."

It strolled over until it was next to Dean, looking out the dirty window.

"This is fun. I could've killed all three of you a thousand times in the last few days, but this…"

It sighed deeply with satisfaction, and Dean felt his hate magnify.

"This is worth the wait."

This was the monster that had murdered Mom, and Sam's girlfriend, and destroyed untold numbers of other families. And now it had them. Dean couldn't believe this was happening, that it was going down like this. Couldn't believe that he could do nothing to stop it, change it. The Demon sidled closer, and Dean tried not to flinch.

"Your daddy? He's in here with me, trapped inside his own meat suit."

It grinned even wider, a mockery of Dad's smile.

"He says 'hi', by the way. He's gonna tear you apart. He's gonna taste the iron in your blood."

Mouth dry, Dean didn't have a comeback for that. That's when the Demon looked across the room. Straight at Bella.

"Hmmm," it mused, eyes alight with glee. "Maybe I'll let him taste your girlfriend, first, so to speak. Twenty-two years is a long time to be without any tail. You don't mind sharing her, do you, Dean-O?"

"Leave her alone,"

Dean demanded, but the Demon was already striding leisurely over to stand in front of a very frightened-looking Bella. Like it had all the time in the world.

It did.

"Hey, baby," it said to her, in a voice that made Dean's flesh crawl. "How about it? A little fun before you die?"

It put out one of his father's hands, sliding it over Bella's bruised cheek. Gasping, Bella twisted her head away from its touch.

"Yeah I can see why you thought Edward was this guy" Bella commented snidely

"Leave her alone!" Dean said more forcefully.

Laughing, it grabbed Bella by the chin and forced her head back, crushing John's lips down on hers, shoving its tongue inside her. Bella couldn't move, couldn't fight back, but Dean saw her hands clench into fists.

Dean fought harder than before, trying to get free, but it was useless. Desperate, he looked over at Sam, but there was no help there. Sam was fighting as hard as Dean, eyes locked to the Colt, but it was useless.

"Let her GO!"

Dean yelled, so loud something in his throat nearly gave way. Across the room, the Demon released Bella's mouth, its hand still tight around her chin. It looked over at Dean, licking its lips slowly.

"So sweet and tasty,"

it purred lasciviously, while Bella made a small whimpering noise, her eyes focused pleadingly on Dean.

"Take me instead," Dean gasped. "Let Sam, Dad and Bella go, and take me." Anything. Anything to save them.

Bella's eyes widened. "No, Dean!" Sam just watched, mouth open.

The Demon narrowed Dad's eyes, then released Bella, its expression thoughtful. It left her with one parting shot – Dean saw its hand brush down her breast and over her nipple as it dropped its hand from her, making her shudder – but at least it seemed to be leaving her alone. For now.

"That's a good point, Dean-O. I should."

It strode back over to stand in front of him, and Dean hid his sigh of relief that it wasn't at Bella anymore.

"I should," it repeated, standing in front of him, glaring into his eyes with its ugly yellow orbs. "You killed my daughter. Far as I'm concerned? This? Is justice."

"Meg?" Dean asked, guessing.

"Yeah," it confirmed, shifting even closer, hot breath falling on Dean's face. "I saw you shoot her. Saw you send my daughter to oblivion."

"You were there?"

Dean asked, not that he really cared. He was stalling again, trying to buy them more time. For what, he didn't know, but if they were going to do anything at all, they needed that.

"Yeah. I was watching, Dean. Waiting. How do you think I got into your Dad? When I saw my children weren't handling you three as easily as I thought, I waited til your Dad was down, and took the opportunity. Didn't think you'd actually waste one of your precious bullets that way, on anyone other than me. Since you did, and I'm not much for getting sent to oblivion, myself, playing Daddy seemed the best way to go. And so, here we are."

"Children? You? You've got to be kiddin' me."

"What? You and your kind are the only ones allowed to have a family? You killed my favorites daughter. How would you feel if I killed your family?"

Dean said nothing, just met the Demon's gaze with his own hate and rage.

It smiled. the self-satisfied expression back on its face. "Oh, wait, that's right. I forgot. I did." It leered at him. "Still, two wrongs don't make a right. Won't stop me from taking even more of your family. John lost sweet Mary, Sammy lost Jess, but I haven't taken any of your whores."

"You son of a bitch," Dean spat. "You-"

"I want to know why," Sam interrupted, from his own imprisonment. "Why'd you do it?"

It turned slowly, almost teasingly, towards Sam.

"You mean, why'd I kill your Mommy? Your pretty little Jessica?"

"Yeah," Sam challenged.

Sneering back at Dean, the Demon strode over to stand in front of Sam.

"You never told Dean-O, did you? That you were going to ask sweet Jessica to marry you? That you'd gone ring shopping three days before I sliced, diced, and flambéed her on your ceiling?" It stopped, laughing coldly up at Sam. "You wanna know why? Because they got in the way."

Dean took the opportunity to keep on fighting, doing his best to find a weakness in the force paralyzing him, trying to capitalize on the Demon's divided attention, but still to no effect. What could they do? How long could they keep trading its attention back and forth between the two of them like this?

"In the way of what?" Sam demanded angrily.

"My plans for you, of course, Sammy," It said, a note in its voice that was almost seductive. "You….and all the children like you."

Dean shook his head – as much as he could, anyways – suddenly deciding they couldn't keep doing this. The Demon was apparently strong enough to keep the three of them effortlessly pinned for as long as it wanted. Dean had to take a chance. Draw more of the thing's attention, its ire, and hope that its control over Sam – or Bella, for that matter – would slip. Maybe what had happened before with Max would happen again. Maybe the trauma of seeing Dean in danger would spur Sam's fledgling telekinesis back into the open. It was the only chance Dean thought they had.

"Listen," Dean interrupted. "You mind just gettin' this over with? 'Cause I really can't stand the monologue."

He heard Bella gasp in dismay.

"Dean, what are you-"

she whispered, shocked, but Dean avoided looking at her. He kept his eyes on the Demon, challenging it. 'Come and get me, you bastard'.Taking the bait, it strolled back over to stand nose-to-nose with Dean.

"Funny, Dean-O. But wait, that's all part of your M.O., isn't it? Use humor to mask all that nasty pain. Mask the truth."

Dean snorted. "Oh yeah? What's that?" C'mon, c'mon Sammy. Do something.

It grinned at him sadistically.

"You fight and you fight for this family, but the truth? They don't need you. Not like you need them."

It motioned with its head in the direction of his brother.

"Sam? He's clearly John's favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you. And Bella? You think she's in love with you? Nah. She loves her sparkly ex. But he is too much of a wimp to take advantage of her willingness to spread those white thighs for him, so she settled for you instead. Stupid, 'lead-me-around-by-my-cock' Dean Winchester. Pathetic, isn't it? That you want so much to belong to someone, anyone? Whether it's Bella, Daddy, or even Sammy. Anyone will do."

Dean's rage built, higher and higher, and he let it. There was nothing else he could do, except distract the thing, draw its fire, keep its attention on him and away from Bella and Sam. Nothing but hope that Sam's telekinetic ability came back, that it proved strong enough to break free and shoot the thing. Without killing Dad in the process.

"Yeah, I bet you're real proud of your kids, too, huh? Oh, wait, I forgot. I wasted your 'favorite' one. Too bad,"

he smiled at the Demon, hiding his fear behind the hate and rage. You hurt me, and you leave them alone, he dared it, silently. The Demon said nothing, just stared at him for another eternity. Then it stepped slowly back, lowering its head. When it looked up again a moment later, there were red lights curling far back in the depths of those damned eyes.

Sudden pain tore through Dean, worse than any wound he'd ever felt before. Something was inside him, ripping his chest slowly open, and he screamed in agony. The screams of Bella and Sam seemed to come from somewhere in the far distance, his own sounds of pain ringing in his ears. Those red-yellow eyes swam in front of him, mocking through the pain-haze.

"Dad! Dad, stop it! Don't you let it kill me!" Reduced by pain to pleading with his Dad.

But he only felt another series of cuts start, only tasted blood in his mouth. Sammy, Daddy-

It was too strong. It was killing him, and he knew he was going to die without being able to save any of them. He made one last-ditch effort through the pain and blood.

"Dad, please," he begged, broken, feeling tears sliding down his cheeks.

The blackness was already sucking him down, deep and fast. Still, even as he lost consciousness, Dean thought he heard Dad's voice – Dad's voice – saying

"Stop."


	10. Chapter 9: Aftermath

Chapter 9: Aftermath

Bella had thought getting captured and held prisoner by Meg and her friends had been the most frightening experience in her life, second only to her ballet studio fight with James. She'd been wrong.

This was far worse. Pinned to the wall by an invisible force, listening to Dean's father – no, it wasn't his father – tormenting Dean and Sam. Unable to do anything as it touched her, kissed her. But hearing Dean's screams was the worst thing of all. This was another thing entirely-

"Stop it! Leave him alone!"

she shrieked. She couldn't see what that monster was doing to Dean, and she didn't care, even if it turned its attention back onto her. Even if it hurt her instead. She was willing to bear that, for Dean.

"Dean! Dad! No!" Sam was yelling.

All of a sudden, through the echoes of Dean's last pained cry, she heard John say in a much lower, tear-filled voice,

"Stop. Stop it,"

John said again, each word dripping with despair, and Bella felt the implacable force holding her to the wall first weaken, and then dissipate altogether. She slid off the wall and landed on her knees, scrambling to get up. She had to do something, but what? But Sam was already doing something. He was standing beside the table, the Colt now in hand.

Just for a moment, John's eyes were dark, haunted, and human. Then the yellow fire she'd seen burning in them, all too up close and personal when it had kissed her, returned. It grinned at both of them, taunting them.

"You kill me, Sammy-boy, you kill Daddy."

Paralyzed, Bella watched the drama unfold. The same impasse as before, when Dean had held the gun, except now Dean was dying. Maybe already dead.

"I know,"

Sam said unsteadily. Then there was only the report of the bullet, deafening in the small room. Bella kept watching, there was nothing else she could do, and immediately realized that Sam had hit John in the leg. Little silver-blue bolts of electricity shot from the wound, and then John slumped to the floor. No, the Colt really wasn't a normal gun.

Then Dean fell to the floor with a bone-wrenching thump, waking up and wheezing, and Bella forgot everything in her rush to get to his side.

"Dean?"

she asked, struggling to push his hands aside as she tried to see how bad it was. She was dimly aware of Sam kneeling next to her.

"Dean? Oh God," Sam said, sucking in a shocked breath as Bella's hands, covered with gore already, peeled back the torn folds of Dean's t-shirt.

"He lost a lot of blood," Bella said tightly, trying to hold on to control of herself. Her getting sick now was not necessary. Seeking refuge in the part of herself that had seen and lived worse, pushing the part that was the frantic 'girlfriend' aside and being the caretaker she was so long ago when she lived with Renee. Dean & John were hurt, Sam was upset and someone needed to call the shots.

"We have to get him to a hospital."

"Where's Dad?" Dean asked weakly, gaze moving slowly between her and Sam.

"He's right here," Sam said, glancing behind him. Bella followed his gaze. John was just lying there, unmoving. Maybe it was over.

"He's right here, Dean."

"Go and check on him," Dean insisted, blood leaking heavily from the corner of his mouth.

"Go check-"

"OK, OK, he's doing it, just calm down, Dean,"

Bella said adamantly. Sam got up and she heard the slow shuffling of his hesitant footsteps. But she didn't look around. She was too busy tearing up Dean's denim shirt, trying to gather sufficient cloth to press against the worst of the wounds to slow the bleeding like Carlisle had done to her wounds in Phoenix.

"Dad?"

She heard Sam ask. If John didn't wake up soon, she was going to have to get Sam to drag both Dean and John out to the Impala so they could get everyone to a hospital. Hell, she'd drag them herself if she had to. Dean's physical injuries were way beyond her expertise.

"Sammy!"

John suddenly yelled, and despite herself, Bella turned to watch over her shoulder, trying to keep the pressure on Dean's wounds at the same time.

"It's still alive," John said, low and urgent. "It's still inside me, I can feel it. You've got to shoot me, Sam. Shoot me. Shoot me in the heart! Now, son!"

Bella watched in disbelief as Sam raised the gun and cocked it. No, not again.

"Sam,"

Dean rasped, and Bella turned back towards him, a spectator in an awful tennis match between the two traumatic events unfolding on either side of her.

"Sam, don't you do it. Don't you do it." Dean persisted, coughing more blood.

Bella opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What could she say at a time like this? Yes, shoot him, Sam. Let's end this for everyone. No, Sam, don't shoot your own father, are you crazy? Would she shoot Charlie?

"You've got to hurry," John was insisting, desperation in every word. "Can't hold onto it much longer. Shoot me, Sammy! Shoot me!"

A long pause, but no gunshot, and Bella was inexorably drawn to look over at Sam and his father again. John lying on the ground, struggling, frantic, and Sam standing over him with the gun, hands starting to shake from the mental strain.

"Son, I'm begging you! We can end this here and now! Sammy!" John pleaded.

But again, Dean's broken whisper slipped past Bella. "Sam, don't."

"You do this! Sam!"

Suddenly, John's head was flung back, and he screamed. Black smoke, thicker than any smoke Bella had ever seen - as black as Meg's eyes had turned back in Bella's apartment - boiled out of John's mouth. It collected in the air above him, while the rest of them stood rooted in place, watching helplessly. Then it flowed to the floor, ran through the floorboards like water, and was gone.

John gave Sam a look that made Bella's blood run cold – anger, disappointment, desperation – and then let his head fall back on the floor with a thump, breathing heavily, defeated. Bella couldn't see Sam's face but the slump of his shoulders, and the way the arm holding the Colt drooped, told her all she needed to know. She turned back to Dean, and he was still with them, looking up into her face sadly.

"'M sorry, Bells," he slurred, bloody spittle flecking his lips. "Didn't want things t'go like-"

"Fuck that, Dean Winchester," she answered, angry now herself.

"You're not dying on me, you hear me? Sam!"

She was so not going to let Dean bleed out while the Winchesters worked out their family problems.

"Sam!"

she demanded again, in a commanding voice none of the Cullens especially Alice would have recognized. He appeared beside her, his cheeks wet, but Bella didn't have time for this. Even though she knew her own eyes were just as damp. They could mourn later, damn it, if it came to that.

"What should we…." Sam started.

She cut him off.

"We're taking Dean and your father to the hospital. Now."

Sam started to move to obey her, but Dean protested weakly.

"Can't, they'll be- waiting for us. Could be anywhere, in any- one." More blood leaked thinly from his mouth.

"That's a chance I'm willing to take. Now shut up and save your strength, Dean. Move it, Sam." Bella ordered.

She wasn't going to let anything stop her from saving the man she loved. Dean had risked everything to save her, had even been willing to sacrifice himself to the Demon for her, and she was not going to balk at doing the same, now that the tables were turned.

No matter what she had to do, or who or what she had to fight


	11. Chapter 10: Drive or shoot?

Chapter 10 : Drive or shoot?

Bella tried to maintain pressure on the worst of Dean's wounds, as she listened to the scraping sounds of Sam helping his father to his feet, and then dragging him out the door to the waiting Impala.

"Bells," Dean protested weakly, "'S a bad idea." A bubble of blood popped at the corner of his mouth.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Dean?" she snapped, holding onto her fragile self-control with both hands. "Shut UP!"

There was the sound of car doors slamming outside, and then Sam was back.

"Bella, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, can't you-"

"No, I can't," she snarled, anticipating his question. "I'm not a doctor, I can't treat him myself. Let alone in a cabin in the middle of the fucking woods." – how Charlie's jaw would drop – "We need to get him to a hospital. And the longer we sit here and debate it, the less time we have to-"

She bit off the words, staring down at her bloodied hands where they held the torn strips of Dean's shirt against his chest wounds. Who would've thought she'd ever wish so hard to have Chase here? He'd know what to do.

"But th'could be wai-waiting for us," Dean reminded them, wheezing. "Hit 's while we're down. If w'stay here, wit' th' salt lines, we stay-" He took a laboured breath. "-safe."

"I don't care," Bella insisted. "Sam, take your brother out to the car. Now!"

To her relief, Sam only nodded and helped her get Dean to his feet. Smart man. John was already riding shotgun, hand pressed to the messy bullet wound in his thigh, his features strained, but Bella didn't waste any time checking how he was doing. She had to keep pressure on Dean's wounds. That was the only job that mattered right now. She fidgeted impatiently while Sam maneuvered Dean into the back seat as quickly and carefully as possible, and then she climbed in beside her boyfriend.

Sam slid behind the wheel.

"OK, the nearest hospital is only twenty minutes or so away. Hang on, Dean."

He started the engine with a roar. But he didn't put the car in gear. Bella glared over at him from the back seat, ready to start yelling any second, but Sam was hunched over the wheel, both hands pressed to his temples. Groaning.

"Sammy?" John asked. "Sam?" He sounded worried, concerned, and some of Bella's resentment at the man vanished.

Sam suddenly came out of it, shaking his head.

"Dammit, they're waiting for us."

"What are you talking about?" John asked.

"I saw it. There's a semi about ten minutes' drive from here, just idling by the side of the road. With a guy with black eyes sitting in the cab. It's got to be the Demon, or one of its friends. Waiting for us."

The three of them sat there looking at each other – Dean was too out of it to register what was going on – for several long moments. What did they do now?

John broke the silence first.

"Wait, what do you mean you 'saw' it?"

"I get visions sometimes, I already told you Dad, it's how we got to Forks and met Bella" Sam explained quickly. "Seems to happen whenever we get near something involving the Demon."

This was old news to Bella. Dean had explained it to her at her house after she brke things off with Edward. Apparently John Winchester hadn't gotten the memo yet.

"And you think it's going to happen to us because…?" John asked.

"Because these things nearly always happen exactly the way I see them," Sam replied, worry etched into his face.

"Trus' him, Dad," Dean whispered from the back seat, still awake and with them after all. "If h'saw it, it'll happ'n."

Bella had enough.

"Do you want Dean to bleed out, you idiots?"

Startled, they both looked back at her, then guiltily at Dean lying next to her. Yeah, Renee would've been very proud.

"You're right," John said. "I'm sorry."

Bella was out of her element, yes, but you didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what came next. Before they could waste more time, she rambled on:

"We've got a car full of weapons, don't we?"

"Well, sure…" Sam answered.

"Then let's use them. I'm no hunter, but even I know a semi isn't much good when you shoot out its tires."

She had the full attention of all three of them, now. "'S my girl," Dean rasped, actually smirking a little under the blood.

"'Best idea I can think of," John concurred. "Sammy, pop the trunk and grab as many of the big guns as you can? I'll be too slow with my damned leg."

It felt like Sam took an eternity, and Bella had to fight not to scream at him and John in sheer frustration and fear, but Dean was awake and gripping her hand weakly with cold fingers, and she wasn't going to lose it, not when she knew he needed her to stay calm. Finally Sam seat-dropped back into the front seat, shoving the armful of weapons and ammo boxes at John, and putting the car in gear. "You know the way?" John asked him.

"Yeah," Sam said.

"OK. You drive, I'll load the weapons."

Bella turned towards Dean, putting all her attention back into keeping as much blood inside him as she could. Until John said her name.

"Bella."

She half-turned towards him, expecting him to apologize, or perhaps to thank her.

Instead, he asked:

"Know how to use a gun?"

"No, I've never even held one in my entire life. Charlie didn't like it"

He nodded slowly.

"You've got ten minutes to learn. Or you take the wheel and Sam and I shoot"

"Are we getting close?" John asked Bella, (who was driving) tension rising in his voice.

"I think so," Sam answered.

"When you think we're almost there, turn off the headlights and gun the engine."

Bella nodded hands white-knuckled around the wheel.

"Yes, sir." There was no sarcasm in her voice. They were all in this together.

"Left or right?" John was asking Sam, and Bella forced herself to focus.

"I saw it hit us on the passenger side."

Bella was driving at the straight as an arrow road hoping that Sam's vision had been wrong and maybe there was no semi. Just as that hope entered her mind, Sam said "Now" and she turned off the Impala's headlights, and the car jolted forward with a roar as she put the pedal to the metal. She her teeth and fought to maintain the cars position. More trees, more fields, more nothing….

A sudden loud screech of tires, and there it was. A big, hulking mass of metal, bearing down on them. Gunshots sounded close to her ear; John was already firing at the truck. Sam tried to copy him but his fingers had frozen on the trigger of the gun. She wasn't even able to breathe. Not until the truck narrowly missed them, ploughing into the road behind their rear bumper by what was surely no more than a yard or two.

"Time to pretend you're in NASCAR, Bella," John ordered, and Bella snapped the headlights back on, pedal still flat to the floor. Behind them, the truck was swinging back onto the road. Coming after them. Bella felt panic trying to claw at her.

"We're gonna need to take the tires out, like Bella suggested. I'm going to lean out my window on this side, and I want you Sam to try to switch places with Dean and lean out the window on his side, so there's no chance I'll hit you by accident. OK?"

"OK," Sam said

She was driving as fast as the Impala would go checking through the rearview mirror what was happening to the semi behind them. It was dark, and hard to see. More gunshots roared from the Impala's opposite side, a few more of John's bullets striking the oncoming semi. One even shattered the truck's windshield, but the demon-possessed driver didn't even flinch, as far as Bella could tell. Was it the Demon itself pursuing them? That thought alone was enough to steady her hands on the wheel.

She'd die before she let it touch her again. A few seconds later Sam pulled himself backing the car shouting he was out of bullets. But John wasn't done. Still leaning out his window, he squeezed off a few final shots, and then she heard it – the sound of a blowout, and skidding behind them. She looked through the mirror, watching the truck swerve off the road and crash into a tree.

John slid back into the car.

"I think the Demon won't be following us any more, at least not that way."

Soon the hospital loomed in front of them, and it was time to move to the second phase of the plan.

They made sure to show up separately and to be admitted under false names, to help throw off anyone - or anything - that might be looking for them. It started with Bella dropping Sam and John off half a block away. Sam would bring John to the ER and give them some story about him accidentally shooting himself (John had chuckled at the absurdity of that).

Bella's entrance had been much more dramatic. She'd parked the Impala right in the ambulance reception area and burst into the ER, calling for help. The cover story for Dean's injuries was that she'd found him bleeding and unconscious by the side of the road, and since her cell phone hadn't been working, she'd decided it was less risky to bring him in herself than to try to find help nearby while he potentially bled out.

The ER staff had looked at her strangely, especially at her still-bruised cheek and the bandages on her throat, courtesy of Meg. But apparently Dean's fake credentials as a New Jersey doctor (on vacation in Salvation visiting family, he'd told them later) carried enough weight.

They'd taken Dean into surgery, leaving her nothing to do but sit in the waiting room wringing her hands. She'd cleaned them as soon as they'd taken Dean to the OR, but the bloodstains still marred her clothing. The wait was torturous, and she couldn't help the tiny, selfish wish that none of this had ever happened. That instead she would've been back in Forks, stuck in for a girls night going through an awful Bella Barbie episode with Alice. She felt marginally better when Sam suddenly appeared and sat down next to her.

"How's Dean?" he asked quietly.

"Surgery," she muttered. "I haven't heard anything else. John?"

Sam nodded. "Also in surgery. They've got to pull the Colt's bullet out of his leg." His brow suddenly scrunched. "Oh crap, I hope the bullet doesn't look all that special, or Dad's going to have some explaining to do."

Bella nodded but couldn't really bring herself to care. She was bone-weary and bloodied and scared, and Dean…who knew if Dean was even going to make it? Horrified, she felt tears start to roll down her cheeks. Then she wondered why she was so angry at herself for crying. Dean was her boyfriend.

"It's OK, Bella,"

Sam said, putting his arms awkwardly around her and guiding her head onto his shoulder.

"Dean's tough. I've seen him take some pretty bad hits before, and he always came out smiling. This time won't be any different."

She nodded, but she wasn't convinced. Finally, after what felt like ten lifetimes of waiting, the doctor came out of surgery and told her they'd done all they could, that Dean was in the recovery room and would soon be moved into the ICU. They would just have to wait and see if he'd pull through or not.

Numbed, Bella waited to wake up from the nightmare. Unfortunately, it showed no sign of ending.

She installed herself in the ICU, sitting on a hard chair next to Dean's bed. Sam edged into the room behind her, but Bella only had eyes for Dean. He just lay there, lashes dark against his pale cheeks, and she fought to hold back the tears again. She remembered how soft those lips had been against hers, the warmth of his touch, his ardor when they made love…It was impossible that he wouldn't survive this, wouldn't live to kiss her again, she thought.

Sam left after a few minutes to check on John, and, agitated now, Bella toyed with her new cell-phone, contemplating calling Charlie. A dose of normalcy, to keep her from totally losing it to the insanity she'd been thrust into. But she didn't really have the focus to be any help to dad and his worry would just pull on to her even more.

Just thinking about Charlie and her life back at Forks before she met Dean made her feel even worse. All of sudden, she remembered what the Demon had said to Dean, leering the words through John's face: 'You think she's in love with you? Nah. She loves her sparkly ex. But he is too much of a wimp to take advantage of her willingness to spread those white thighs for him, so she settled for you instead.'

What if Dean believed what the Demon had said?

_She found herself back against the rough, splintery wall, and she couldn't move. Not an inch. _

_Dean's father stood in front of her, leering at her with flaming yellow eyes. She couldn't see anything else. The rest of the room around them was a dark rushing blur. She couldn't see Dean or Sam. Were they even there with her?_

"_Bella," it purred, velvet and gravel. "Sweet Bella."_

_She couldn't move, couldn't fight. It sidled closer, licking its lips. Where are you, Dean? she screamed silently inside her head. It kissed her, its mouth shockingly hot and wet, and she was both revolted and suddenly – horribly – excited. No, she wouldn't give in, she wouldn't._

_She felt its fingers on her body, sliding up to slowly work the buttons of her shirt open. Searing eyes glanced down, admiring her bared skin. She was caught between a squirm and a shudder of revulsion._

_It smirked, the curve of its mouth a disturbing echo of Dean's. _

"_Are you liking this, Bella? I think you are. I can smell it on you."_

_The hot fingertips trailed downwards, then started to undo her jeans, and she felt a sound rising in her throat, scream or plea for help or a moan…whatever it was supposed to be, it died before it left her lips._

"_I know what you want," _

_it whispered, slipping its burning hand along the skin of her belly. _

"_And I'm going to give it to you." It pushed its hand lower, to the waistband of her panties._

_No, she wasn't going to let it do this, she wouldn't. She shoved against the force holding her, with all she had…_

She woke up with a start, her face wet. There was a hand on her head, stroking her hair gently. In a blind, confused panic, she almost batted it forcefully away.

"Bells, it's OK," a voice croaked. It sounded like Dean's voice.

She suddenly remembered everything. Which included leaning over in her chair and resting her head on her folded arms on the side of Dean's bed. She must've fallen asleep.

"Dean?"

she asked stupidly, hardly daring to look up, in case she was hallucinating the whole thing. Or still dreaming. But yes, it was him, he was awake and watching her. Obviously concerned about her. Concerned about her? He was the one who had been close to death mere hours ago.

"Yeah," he answered. "Are you OK, Bells? You were moaning in your sleep."

She shoved the unwelcome dream-images away, wiping at the moisture on her cheeks. Sweat or tears, either way, she didn't care to know. She took Dean's hand carefully between hers, and found it already warmer, stronger.

"I'm fine," she said. "The important thing is, how are you feeling?"

His hand squeezed reassuringly around hers. "Just awesome," he chuckled weakly. "I'm curtained off with a beautiful woman, a bed, and clothing that comes off easily. Are you kiddin' me? I'm in heaven!"

Fighting back tears again, Bella took his face in her hands and kissed him as hard as she could.

Soon after Dean was moved into a private room, Sam appeared, pushing John in a wheelchair.

Relief crossed John's face at seeing his eldest son awake.

"Dean. How're you feeling?"

"Just great," Dean said, hand still wrapped firmly around Bella's. "I'm alive." That was all that was really important to Dean at this point. He was alive, Bella was alive, Dad and Sammy were OK.

"Good. Because we still have a job to do," John said, a determined look on his face.

Dean wasn't really surprised by this. Dad was like a bulldog in that way: once he had a scent, he didn't let it go easily.

Bella was appalled, however. Dean could see it all too clearly on her face, and he squeezed her hand gently, trying to reassure her. But Sam was equally appalled (predictably), and Dean sighed inwardly, knowing he couldn't quell Sam's rebellion as easily as Bella's.

"Don't we have more important things to focus on right now, Dad?" Sam asked, already angry.

"Come on, Sam," Dean tried.

"No, I mean it!" Sam insisted, right on the verge of yelling.

John glared at his younger son.

"The job doesn't stop just because we got banged up a little. That family is still in danger. Hell, we're still in danger. You think the Demon is going to give up looking for us, hunting for us?"

"Best defense is a good offense?" Dean suggested.

"Exactly. Your brother gets it, Sam," John said.

Sam just threw up his arms, totally exasperated.

"Sammy, please,"

Dad said, rubbing his hand across his forehead, his expression changing to one of despair. Dean felt for him, felt for all of them. Like Sam, he wanted to stop this, he really did. But the job was the job. Dad went on:

"Can we not fight? Half the damn time we're fighting, I don't even know why. We're just butting heads. I've screwed up, I've made mistakes. I can admit that. But I've always tried to balance everything out, do right by you and Dean, but also do right by the people we've been trying to save. Can't you understand that?"

"Yes."

Sam said, softening, and Dean felt a weight slowly lift off his chest. Maybe Dad and Sammy could get along long enough to pull this off. Because Dean knew already he wasn't going to be in the next battle. Not unless they found a hudu priest to lay a little mojo on him, and heal him up so he could help the two of them kill the yellow-eyed bastard.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Dad said, snapping his fingers. He reached under the blanket on his lap and pulled his wallet out from under it. "Better give them my insurance."

Sam took the card, smiling a little as he read it out loud. "Elroy McGillicutty?"

Dean smirked. "Dude, that's lame."

Dad smirked back. "You should talk. You probably gave them a 'James Hetfield' card."

Dean started to wave a hand in dismissal, then stopped as the movement made his wounds ache. "Nah, I used that one already two jobs ago."

Chuckling, Dad turned back to Sam. "Now, where's the Colt? That gun might be our only chance."

"I left it in the Impala's trunk. Bobby suggested it when I called him a couple hours ago - he told me to draw a Devil's Trap on the outside. He said it'd be safe to leave the Colt there," Sam replied.

"Good," Dad nodded. "So, what we first need to do is-"

"Wait," Bella interjected. Dean had almost forgotten she was a spectator to all of this. "Dean's not ready for this. He can barely walk."

"I know," John answered, gaze flicking apologetically to Dean. "But it can't wait. So it'll have to be me and Sammy." He paused, frowning, and then locked gazes with Sam. "No, that's not true. The truth is, it'll have to be mainly you, Sam. Because I'm not gonna be up for much running on this damned leg."

Sam just stared at his father, mouth agape. "You want me to take on this Demon alone?" he asked at last.

Dean tried to calm Sam down. "Sam, c'mon-"

"I don't want it, no. And I'll be there, with you, as much as I can," John said quietly. "I'm just telling it like it is, son."

"So, you're fine with sending me on a suicide mission?" Sam was fuming.

"Sam!" Dean said sharply. "Don't wimp out on us."

"Dean, Dad obviously cares more about killing this Demon than either of us." He turned and glared daggers at their father. "You're not thinking about anybody but yourself, and your need to kill this Demon no matter what it costs us. It's always the same selfish obsession!"

Here we go again, Dean sighed inwardly.

"You're wrong, Sam," John said, his voice now low and dangerous. "I was willing to sacrifice myself to end everything back at the cabin. Have you forgotten that?"

Dean tried again to calm things down, playing out once more his traditional peacemaker role.

"Guys, come on, can we not do this?" he pleaded. They weren't listening, though. Big surprise.

"Yeah, Dad, let's talk about that. How could you ask me to kill you?" Sam clenched his fists, towering over his father.

"You're asking me how? I don't get you, Sammy. This damned thing killed your mother! Killed your girlfriend! You wanted to be a part of this! Don't you want to end this thing as much as I do?"

"It was possessing you, Dad! I would have killed you, too."

"Yeah," Dad growled. "But if you'd pulled the trigger, it would all be over now. We wouldn't be sitting here looking over our shoulders, waiting for the Demon or one of its friends to attack us at any moment. The family we came here to help would be safe. As would every other family that the Demon is planning to hit."

Dean sat up in bed, ignoring the sharp biting pain of his wounds. He was getting tired of this. Tired of the same old dog-and-pony-show between Dad and Sam.

"Shut up, both of you," he tried.

They weren't paying any attention.

"So, you're blaming me," Sam was snarling, leaning down and getting right into Dad's face now.

"Maybe I am," Dad was saying defiantly.

"Go to Hell," Sam shot back.

Bella watched the whole performance with a kind of disbelieving horror. 'Welcome to the family, Bells', Dean thought.

"Fuck," Dad swore. "Should never have taken you along in the first place. I knew it was a complete mistake-"

"I almost liked your Dad better when he was possessed,"

Bella murmured sardonically to Dean. Boy, this was getting out of hand. Was already out of hand, actually. Dean was at his limit.

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Dean yelled as loud as he could. The force of his shout caused sudden red agony to spike through his chest, and he clenched his fists grimly, but it worked. Dad and Sam both stared at him silently, mouths hanging open.

Bella reached for him with a concerned expression, but he motioned her away.

"You all might not like how it turned out, but it's done," he rasped. "We've got a couple days still, so let's not waste time on the Monday-morning quarterbacking, and just figure this thing out. Before the Demon toasts another family. An innocent family. Or have we forgotten all of that?" He glared at his father and brother in turn, a headache starting behind his eyes.

"If you dudes want to tear into each other, then go away," Dean continued. "I'll come up with a fucking plan. I'm not going to sacrifice anyone else in my family to that thing, but I'm not going to sit by and let it go on killing, either. I'll go kick this thing's ass on crutches, if I need to. So, if neither of you want to act like hunters, go the Hell away." He paused to take a breath. "Besides, you're scaring my girlfriend." He added sarcastically.

Silence reigned for a few blessed moments, and then Sam and Dad grudgingly stood down. From the corner of his eye, Dean could see Bella smirking. Dude, it was going to be a long couple of days.

"The first step – the very first step," Dean said, turning and looking only at Bella, as if he was completely ignoring Dad and Sam, "Is to figure out which family it's going to attack. We don't even know that yet."

Bella picked up the bait immediately. God, he loved her. "OK, how will you do that? Is there some rule that dictates when and where the Demon will attack?"

"How do we even know the Demon will attack?" Sam interjected, but timidly. "We probably hurt it. At the very least, we gave it a scare. D'you really think it's still going to stick to its plan, show up and flame another family?"

"Don't care," Dean said sharply. "You really wanna take that chance, Sammy? Hell, if we hurt it, so much the better. It'll be that much slower the next time we confront the bastard."

Unwillingly, Sam nodded.

"If we want to know who it's going to hit, we need to find out which families in Salvation have babies that are going to be six months old in the next few days." John put in, answering Bella's earlier question.

"Dad, that could be dozens of kids," Sam jumped in, and Dean had to grit his teeth in irritation again. "How are we gonna know which one's the right family?"

"We'll check them all," Dean said. "But we have to find them first."

"That'll be the easy part," John said. "I checked awhile back, when we were first scouting the area, and there's two hospitals and a health centre in the county. Sammy and I'll have to split up and check the records. Once we have a list, we can figure out the next step." He shrugged. "No point in trying to figure out which family until we even know how many families we're dealing with."

Sam nodded. "OK."

Grimacing, John pushed himself up out of the wheelchair, cautiously putting his weight on his injured leg. "I think I can make do with some crutches, but I'll still have to rely on you to do most of the legwork, Sam."

"Um, excuse me?" Bella said, standing up. "I may not be a hunter, but I can still read. I'll go and check the records with Sam, Mr. Winchester. You and Dean can stay here and recover.

John shook his head. "That's a very kind offer, but I don't have a fake ID for you-"

"I don't need one," Bella insisted. "I'm a pretty girl. I'm sure they'll let me look at the records."

Dean smiled. 'Way to go, Bells'. He loved a girl who had the balls (so to speak) to step up to the plate. Though he wasn't going to tell her that – he'd discovered early on how much she hated sports metaphors.

John looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded.

"You're right." He turned to Sam. "I've got the addresses of all three places in my pants' pocket, back in my hospital room. You and Bella go check them out, and then get back here pronto. And Bella?"

John added, as she gave Dean a quick goodbye peck and started towards the door.

"Call me John."


	12. Chapter 11: Snowball's chance in Hell

Chapter 11 : Snowball's Chance in Hell

A/N: Due to a quick mature scene the rating is M just for this chapter

It took hours to comb through all the records, but finally Bella and Sam were back in Dean's room, all of them discussing the next step to be taken. Eventually, they decided that the best thing to do would be to visit each family individually, and hope that the Demon had left some kind of sign in advance at each place. Flickering lights, deaths of neighborhood pets, something.

Bella didn't hold out much hope, but since she wasn't exactly experienced in this sort of thing, she kept her own counsel. Maybe there were subtle signs that Sam and John would recognize. John didn't remember any oddities occurring before the fire that had claimed Mary Winchester and started them down this road, but maybe there had been signs and he hadn't noticed them at the time, not without someone there to call his attention to them.

Dean was outwardly supportive of what his father and brother were doing, but inwardly he was fuming. He'd give anything to be in Sam's position, to be able to blow the Demon a new asshole with the Colt. But he wasn't even close to being healed up enough to do that.

John insisted this time that he be the one to do the legwork, checking half the twenty-two families on the list, so Bella and Dean were finally left alone together again, while he and Sam canvassed the list of potential Demon targets.

Dean noticed the worried expression on her face.

"I'm OK, Bells."

He reached over and laced his fingers through hers.

"I'm pissed off that I'm going to be ring-side for the big battle, but…"

He shrugged but looked very disappointed. Bella sympathized, but after everything she'd seen, she also felt relieved. The thought of Dean dying frightened her badly, and although she didn't want Sam or John to be put at risk either, there was still that part of her that thought better them than Dean….

He was still watching her, more intensely than before. She wondered if he was becoming psychic like his brother, and could read her guilty thoughts.

"What?" she asked.

Dean shook his head.

"Nothing. Just that you've been surprising me lately. This isn't the kind of life that many people can jump into feet-first, but you picked up that gun without hesitation and tried to defend us back there. And then stepping in to do Dad's research for him. I really admire you for it all." Polar opposite of Cassie, that's for sure.

Bella was pleased. "Does this mean you didn't admire me before?" she joked.

"Oh, I did," he assured her. "Dating a vampire and being the parent in the mother-daughter relationship, those are both admirable qualities. But….this is different."

He hoped she realized he was being serious. That it was no small feat, going from high school student to amateur hunter in mere hours. Especially when she could just have easily run screaming in the other direction. Bella nodded, but she also remembered the earlier doubts brought on by her nightmare.

"Look, Dean," she said, gazing down at his hand, still wrapped around hers. "What the Demon said back in the cabin, about me and Edward…it's not true. You're not a replacement for him."

Dean shook his head. Figured she'd be concerned about that.

"I know, Bells. Don't worry about it. Demons lie all the time. Yeah, sometimes they'll tell the truth, if they think it'll screw you up, but…" He squeezed her hand gently. "I know this isn't one of those times."

There was no way Dean could see her putting up with all this supernatural crap, not if she really preferred her asshole of a sparkly vamp ex to him. Dean decided he had a pretty good way to reassure her, in fact. He tugged on her arm, drawing her down until he could kiss her. It started off chaste, but then his tongue slid wetly along her lower lip, and with a groan she gave in, letting him inside her. He was almost startled by how quickly she surrendered.

His fingers had soon knotted themselves in her hair, so when he broke the kiss and moved his warm mouth lower, pressing gentle kisses along her throat, it wasn't easy for her to pull away.

"Dean, we shouldn't-"she protested breathlessly. "You're hurt!"

"Screw that," he said, muffled, against her neck. "S'gonna take more than a damned demon to keep me from touching you. Besides, haven't you always wanted to do it in a hospital bed?"

He needed to do something, to take his mind off the fact he was stuck in this fucking hospital bed when he should have been out there. May as well do something fun.

"Someone could come in and catch us,"

she protested, but she was already weakening. After everything that had happened to her lately, this was the one constant, the one thing that was keeping her grounded. Him. And she'd come so close to losing him.

"So, get under the covers with me," he coaxed mischievously. "Anyone comes in, we'll pretend you're….tired and taking a nap?"

"That's so lame, Dean," she said, but when he held the covers back, she shook her head and slid under the sheets beside him.

He smirked.

"I think the word you're looking for is suave,"

he teased. He drew her closer, kissed her again.

Bella yawned and glared at the brown sludge that the vending machine had given her. Even PPTH's worst cafeteria had better coffee than this. She drank a few experimental gulps anyways, grimacing at the taste. Familiar voices were talking behind her, and she turned to see that John and Sam were back.

"Hey," Sam said, spotting her and coming over. "How's he doing?"

"Fine," Bella said, hoping she wasn't blushing. "He even feels well enough to flirt with the nurses again," she joked.

Chuckling, Sam nodded and headed off in the direction of Dean's room. John came up to her next, slowed by his crutches.

"Bella, do you have a second?"

She paused, wondering what he wanted. She found herself tensing, remembering the last time she'd been alone with this man. Except, it hadn't really been this man.

"Look, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. It wasn't me, of course, not since we rescued you….but I still wanted to say sorry. And to thank you for everything you've done to help Dean, help us. Like insisting we bring him here. He might've died if you hadn't."

John Winchester was obviously uncomfortable, not making eye contact for very long with her, shifting a little from leg to crippled leg, but he was obviously sincere. So she smiled at him.

"I accept, Mr. Win-John," she corrected herself.

He smiled back at her and nodded, then, all business, and started hobbling towards Dean's room. Almost unwillingly, Bella found herself realizing just how handsome her boyfriend's father was. Jesus. What was wrong with her? Is that what sex does to people? She cut the thoughts off and followed after him to Dean's room, wondering for the first time whether the two of them had been successful in locating the family in question.

"We found the family. Or rather, Sammy did,"

John said, wincing a little as he lowered himself into the chair by Dean's bed. The same one she'd been sitting in before Dean had seduced her into joining him in the bed, she noticed with a blush.

"How?"

Dean asked, eyes going back and forth between his brother and his father. His expression was grave, focused. No joking around or romance now.

"One of my visions," Sam answered, massaging his temple with his fingers, almost unconsciously. "Sixth house I tried, I was standing outside and had a vision. The Demon in a nursery, standing over the crib. And then the mother comes in and gets pinned to the ceiling and cut and burned….just like Mom." Sam paused, swallowing convulsively, and then went on: "Then I saw the mother, the same one, walking up the street, and I talked to her and found out her daughter's six-month birthday is tonight."

Dean's eyes widened. "Tonight? Oh, fuck."

"Doesn't matter," John said, and already he was back in battle-mode. Calm and distant, focused on the war to come. Bella almost envied him. "It's time to decide the best way to take the Demon down," he continued. "We're all out of time."

Waiting in that sterile hospital room to find out what had happened, had been as bad as any torture. This could very well have been their last battle against the Demon, and Dean not only couldn't participate, but he couldn't even watch it go down. He could only wait, which was far worse than being pinned to a wall and cut to pieces by the Big Badass, in a way. If Bella hadn't been there to talk him down, to distract him, Dean didn't know what he would've done.

But when Sam and John returned to Dean's room, both of them stepping carefully over the line of salt Bella had laid there earlier, he knew just by looking at them that it was bad. That it hadn't worked.

"We didn't get it, did we?"

Dean asked. On the chair next to the bed, Bella sat up straighter, her expression one of worry and disappointment. Brooding, Dad slumped into the room's other chair and didn't answer, as Sam shook his head. Voice dull with fatigue and defeat, Sam started to tell them the story

_It was uncomfortable, sitting in the car like this with Dad. It wasn't just the knowledge that they were about to face the monster, the Demon that had destroyed their family, and maybe defeat it for good. Kill or be killed._

_It was also that he just didn't know what to say to Dad. Every time they opened their mouths around each other, it seemed, the fighting started. And this time Dean wasn't here to play mediator. This really wasn't how Sam had pictured this whole thing ending. He'd always figured Dad would kill the thing alone. Or that Dean and Sam, working together, would take the yellow-eyed bastard down. _

_Never in a million years had he expected that he'd have to team up with Dad on this, without Dean. And that Dad would probably be of minimal help when it came right down to the big moment. Sam shifted restlessly. The silence was uncomfortable, oppressive, and finally, Sam couldn't stand it. _

"_This feels strange."_

"_Yeah," Dad answered quietly, eyes meeting Sam's. "Been waiting for this for a long time, and now it's finally here."_

"_Doesn't seem real," Sam added._

_John nodded slowly. _

"_But it is. And that means we've got to do our job. That we can't let it get into our heads."_

_Despite himself, despite his own doubts that he was up to this, Sam felt irritated with Dad. What did Dad think he'd been doing for the last year? He wasn't some coddled college kid who'd never held a gun in his life….With an effort, he calmed himself. _

"_This isn't like always, Dad. This isn't like our usual jobs."_

_Another slow nod. _

"_I know." Dad reached out, laying a hand on Sam's shoulder and squeezing lightly._

_Silence fell again, as Sam didn't know what to say. He'd already said goodbye to Dean – or tried to, Dean hadn't been willing to hear it, had insisted that 'Nobody's dying today, not us, not that family, no one except the Big Badass' – and thanked him, and now it felt like he should say something along those lines to Dad. _

_Just in case._

"_Look, Dad…" Sam tried, clearing his throat. "I know it can't have been easy, raising us like that-"_

"_You don't need to say it, Sam. I know." Dad said, smiling gently._

_Sam shook his head and went on anyways. _

"_I just wanted to say thank you. And that I know you tried to do the best you could." _

_Dad nodded. "I did. Tried, anyways. But let's not go writing our eulogies until we have to, OK Sam?"_

_Sam nodded again, looking out the side window towards the house. Dean wasn't the only one who sometimes got uncomfortable with 'chick flick' moments, though Sam would never admit as much to Dean. Sam had a reputation to uphold, after all._

_Still, the silence wanted to be filled, so Sam scrambled around for something else to say. He suddenly remembered what the Demon had said to him back in the cabin, while wearing Dad's body._

"_Hey Dad? You know, the Demon, it said it had plans for me, and all the children out there like me. D'you have any idea what it meant by that?"_

_Dad glanced over at him, an unreadable expression on his face. "No, I don't-" Dad started to say._

_There was a sudden rush of wind, moaning loudly in the trees, and the lights in the house across the way started to flicker, gutter. The two of them looked at each other, both of them knowing exactly what that meant. _

"_It's time, Sammy," Dad said._

_From then on, it was as if everything was coming in jump-cuts. Him and Dad at the door, Sam picking the lock while Dad cocked the Colt._

_The husband attacked them in the living room with a bat, and Sam had to dive in and pin the guy against the wall before he brained Dad. Mr. Holt was yelling, understandably panicked. The guy didn't know that the real evil was about to strike upstairs. Sam did his best to calm him, but it wasn't working. _

_Holt yelled for his wife to go get the baby, over Sam's objections, and that was when the darkness coiled down over Sam's vision. In the core of that darkness was the nursery, and Monica racing in to see the shadowy figure hovering over Rosie's crib._

_His eyesight cleared in time to hear Monica's scream. Dad shoved the Colt at him, and Sam didn't let himself stop and think. There was no time for that. Dad couldn't run, wouldn't be able to get upstairs fast enough. Sam could._

_Sam stumbled up the stairs, reaching the nursery an eternity later. He burst in, briefly registering that Monica was pressed to the upper wall, but most of his focus was on the figure by the crib. It locked eyes with him, and suddenly Sam could see nothing but orange flames. Was this what Hell looked like?_

_On pure reflex, Sam raised the Colt, but it felt like his arm was moving through sludge. _

_The Demon was gone, dissolved into smoke between one eyeblink and the next, but it was too late for Sam to stop his finger. He fired, helpless to stop himself, and the bullet went harmlessly, uselessly, into the wall._

_Monica fell to the floor, sobbing, and Sam tried to scan the room for their enemy and help her to her feet at the same time. It still had to be there, it had to be-_

_But there was nothing there. Monica ran to the crib to get Rosie, while Sam stood there uncertainly. Did he manage to hit it after all? Was it dead?_

_Monica backed away from the crib, then turned towards Sam. _

"_What was that? What just happened?"_

_But Sam was spared from answering, because just then the crib went up in flames, angry orange gouts that rushed up to meet the ceiling and started to engulf the floor around the crib, all in seconds. Sam realized that not only was the Demon not dead, but that they had to get out of there. He couldn't risk the Colt's last – last, goddamn it – bullet on trying to hit an invisible foe._

_He got Monica and Rosie out of the room and out of the house as fast as possible. Dad and Monica's husband were on the lawn waiting for them. "Get away from my family!" the man yelled, still not clued in._

"_No, Charlie!" Monica insisted. "They saved us." _

_Clutching onto her husband and baby for dear life, she turned and looked back over her shoulder at Sam. _

"_Thank you. Thank you so much." _

_Sam nodded, but, as if drawn by a magnet, he turned to look back at the house, at the window of the nursery._

_It was still there. Still in the house. It stood at the window, wreathed in flames, and watched them._

_Dad limped up beside him, shock written all over his face. _

"_What happened?" _

_Sam had seen that expression on Dad's face before. It was the same one Dad had worn back in the cabin, when Sam hadn't been able to shoot his own father. Not even to kill the Demon. _

"_I missed," Sam admitted._

"_You what?" Dad hissed. "For God's sake, Sammy."_

"_I shot at it, but it's fast, Dad," Sam protested, but it sounded weak to him. He'd failed Dad twice, hadn't he?_

"_Please tell me there's still a bullet left," Dad growled._

"_Yes, but-"_

_Dad grabbed the gun from Sam's hand, and made a move to get into the inferno that was the house._

"_No, Dad!" Sam raced after him, grabbing him by the arm. Starting to get angry himself._

_"It's still in there," Dad said through gritted teeth. "And if you haven't the balls to do it Sammy, then by God-"_

_Sam was angry, but he pushed it aside. Dad was being suicidal again, and though part of Sam was tempted to just let him do it, just let all this be over, he knew he wouldn't do that. Letting Dad go back into the house would be no different than shooting his father while he'd been possessed, and Sam wasn't prepared to sacrifice his father. No matter how annoying or accusatory Dad could , Dean would never forgive him if he let Dad do something so stupid. If Sam stood by and let their family unit be broken Sam took an even firmer grip of his father's arm. _

"_No, Dad," he insisted calmly. _

"_Let me go! This has to be done!" Dad snarled, trying to yank free of Sam's grip. _

"_No! It's suicide, Dad! Just like last time."_

"_I. Don't. Care." Dad spat, emphasizing every word._

"_Yeah? Well I do. And so does Dean. Nothing's worth getting yourself killed. Not even this. Not even avenging Mom." Sam insisted stubbornly. He wasn't letting go._

_Dad finally stopped struggling to get free, but Sam still didn't let go, in case it was a ruse. A sound came from above them then, a laugh as dark and evil as any Sam had ever heard. They both looked up at the nursery again, and for a brief moment, the Demon was still visible at the window._

_John lift his hands towards the window fast and fired a single shot. _

Sam finished the tale, then just sat there looking at the floor. Dean glanced over at Dad, but Dad was also looking at the floor, the walls, the ceiling, anywhere but at Sam.

"Dad," Dean said warningly, "Let it go."

The last thing he needed was Sammy and Dad at each other's throats. Again.

"So Sammy missed. We're fighting a pretty powerful monster here. Did you really think this would be easy, Dad?"

For a moment, Dad met Dean's gaze directly, and there was such disappointment and frustration in his eyes that Dean was frankly a little frightened. 'Who are you, and what have you done with my father', he wanted to ask. He'd always known Dad was 'driven', but recent events had shown that there was such a thing as too driven.

"No, but I did think both of you would be willing to do what needed to be done," Dad rasped. "And that includes letting me decide when and where to lay down my life, if that means this thing will finally die."

"That's insane,"

Bella piped up, her own voice hard, and Dean was glad to hear her say it. He agreed, he just didn't dare say it out loud to Dad. John's eyes shifted to glare at her, the uninvited guest.

"With all due respect, Miss, you're pretty new to all of this, you don't know what the stakes are," he retorted, but he was already losing steam.

"Give me a break, John," Bella continued, fire in her eyes now, and Dean had to hide a smirk behind his hand. "I don't care what this Demon thing did to your family. It's not worth you losing your life. Nothing's worth that."

She was looking over at Dean for confirmation as she finished, and he nodded in total agreement. Sam was nodding, too.

A united front, against Dad. Three against one, and Dean hoped this would convince him.

"Dad, we're all still alive," Dean pointed out. "The Demon probably wasn't counting on that. And we've still got one bullet left. We can pick up the Demon's trail again, I know we can. We will, somehow."

Dad said nothing, just slumped silently, angrily, in his chair Then suddenly he fhashed a smile that Dean hadn't seen since the night his mother died. Sam looked exasperated and angry and even – in true Sam fashion – a bit guilty for a moment and then let loose a big smile just like John's.

"Who said I missed? John said

Silence fell in the room as Bella and Dean were looking from John to Sam to John again

"Are you saying..."

"You did it?" Dean finished for her

At dad's nod and Sam's declaration

"It's over"

Dean sighed and started laughing. All three Winchesters had the same big grin and happiness shone in their eyes. Dean turned to Bella, smiled and wrapped his fingers around hers.

They were free to go back to their lives. The only question was - could they?

THE END


End file.
